Take Me For Everything
by myeveryday
Summary: He was her stepsister's ex-boyfriend. She shouldn't want him like this. He shouldn't want her. But they couldn't help it. Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson were falling in love.
1. i was enchanted to meet you

**Author's Note: Well, here's my new **_**Glee**_** story! I couldn't resist posting it a little early. This is a little different from anything else I've done before. It'll probably take a few chapters before we get into the main part of the story, but I'm really excited for this. Don't hate for the weird pairing you're going to see; I just thought it would work best with this story. This story title is from "All the Same" by the Sick Puppies. This chapter title is from "Enchanted" by Taylor Swift.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

**August 2008**

Rachel Berry stood up and swiped her bangs back from her eyes after she put a large box down. It was seriously a pain to carry those boxes up three flights of stairs, but it was definitely worth it. She was finally at NYADA, her dream school. She was three days away from officially starting her freshman year of college, and everything was perfect.

"Rachel!"

She turned to find her stepsister struggling with another box. Rachel quickly rushed to help Quinn Fabray, holding the door open for her. Quinn gave her a thankful smile as she shuffled in and put the box on the floor.

"I don't know where Puck and Finn are. They were supposed to come help me move you in today."

Quinn was going into her junior year at Yale. She had met Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman her freshman year at a party, and they had all quickly become friends. Puck and Finn were both firefighters and were best friends. Finn had just recently started dating Quinn, and this was the first time that Rachel, her mother, and Quinn's father would be meeting him.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. She hadn't seen a tall, pale man or a man with a Mohawk, as Quinn had described. "I haven't seen either of them. But have you seen my mom and Russell?"

Quinn sat on the corner of Rachel's new bed. "They're downstairs. They should be up soon, though."

Rachel's parents, Shelby and Hiram Berry, had divorced when Rachel was only five years old. Her father, it turned out, was gay, and had been with his partner Leroy since she was six. Rachel had a fabulous relationship with both her daddy and Leroy, whom she called Papa.

When Rachel was eight, Shelby had met Russell Fabray. He was a widower with a ten year old daughter, and it wasn't long before the two were engaged. Rachel and Quinn got along wonderfully, and it really felt like they were sisters, despite how different they were.

There was a knock on the door, and Rachel turned to find a man with a Mohawk there—he must have been Noah Puckerman. Quinn beamed when she caught sight of him and jumped up, flouncing over to him. She gave him a hug and kissed him on the cheek.

"Rachel, this is Noah Puckerman," the blonde introduced.

Puck rolled his eyes. "Q, you know I prefer Puck."

Rachel wrinkled her nose. "What kind of name is Puck? It's like the fairy from _A Midsummer's Night Dream_."

"I'm not a fucking fairy," Puck said. "Jeeze, Quinn. Where'd she come from?"

Rachel gasped at his little jab and opened her mouth to retort, but Quinn beat her to it. She playfully pushed Puck's chest. "Be nice, Puck. That's my little sister. Where is Finn?"

"Hudson is helping his stepbrother move in," Puck explained. "He should be here soon, though."

Quinn took Puck's hand and pulled him towards the door. Rachel watched the interaction with an interested look on her face, but she didn't say anything. Quinn smiled at her sister over her shoulder and pointed out into the hallway.

"Puck and I are going to find Dad and Shelby. You just stay here and start setting up." She wiggled her fingers at Rachel before she and Puck disappeared completely. Rachel watched them go down the hallway before she busied herself with unpacking her things. Her phone buzzed every now and then with updates from her best friend, Santana Lopez. She was at NYU, and she was already making plans to meet up with Rachel later.

About ten minutes passed before Rachel decided she should check up on her mother, stepfather, and stepsister. She was tired of waiting for them, and they still had so many things that they needed to bring up. Looking down at her phone, Rachel walked out of her room and into the hallway.

She gasped when she slammed into a hard body. She hit the person with so much force that she stumbled backwards. Before she could completely fall, however, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her upwards.

"Hey there. Are you okay?"

Rachel found herself staring into the most gorgeous pair of amber eyes and an adorable half smile. She blinked and scrambled for her words, attempting to make her verbal centers work. She bit her lip and straightened her shirt out.

Finally, Rachel found her words. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed. "I didn't mean to bump into you like that."

His grin was easy. "It's okay. Are you moving in?"

Rachel pointed to the room behind her. "Yes. Are you?" She really hoped that he was. He was really very attractive, and her heart was speeding up just by looking at him.

"I'm not, actually. I'm helping my brother move in." He pointed to the room directly across from Rachel's. Just then, a thin, fashionably dressed young man came out of the room. He opened his mouth, but then he caught sight of Rachel.

"Hello! It looks like we're going to be neighbors! But, oh God, why are you wearing a sweater with an owl on it?"

Rachel could only blink at the sudden question. She looked down at her sweater as her cheeks pinked. She realized that it was a bit juvenile, but wearing the sweater had brought her a little bit of comfort. She was moving away from home, after all. College brought a lot of changes and she just wanted something a bit familiar.

The taller man rolled his eyes. "Kurt, relax," he said. "I think her sweater is cute."

Rachel's cheeks flushed again, and she smiled at him. That wonderful half smile was back on his face, and he winked at her. But before anyone could say anything else, Quinn came back down the hall with Puck. Rachel turned to wave at her sister, but she was looking at the men behind her.

"Finn!" Quinn greeted. She hugged the man Rachel had run into and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. "I see that you've met Rachel already."

Rachel looked between the pair before she said, "This is Finn Hudson?" Her heart dropped in disappointment, and she shook her head. She was being ridiculous. She had just met the guy, and he was dating Quinn. He probably hadn't even been interested in her, anyway.

"Yes it is," Quinn said. "Finn, Kurt, this is my little sister Rachel Berry."

The shorter man grabbed onto Rachel's arm. "I'm Kurt Hummel," he said. "I can't believe that your stepsister is dating my stepbrother and we ended up in rooms across from each other. This is fate, Rachel Berry."

Rachel grinned at him. She had a feeling that she had just found a great friend in Kurt Hummel. As they turned to go into her room, she caught Finn's eye again. He smiled at her.

* * *

"He's hot, right?"

Rachel looked up from folding her clothes. "Who's hot?"

Quinn smirked. "Finn."

"Oh. Uh…" Rachel's cheeks flushed. Oh yes, she thought Finn was hot. And gorgeous and sexy and a whole slew of other adjectives. But she wasn't about to share that with her sister. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Hmm. Did you like Puck more? He is very sexy, too."

Rachel made a face. Sure, Puck was good looking, but she was in no way attracted to him. She was actually kind of surprised that Quinn would blatantly say that, though. And she definitely didn't miss the way that Quinn described Finn merely as "hot" while she called Puck sexy. In fact, in Rachel's opinion, Finn was definitely sexier. But to each their own, she supposed. "No. Noah is definitely not my type."

Quinn nodded her head. "I don't think the two of you would have meshed well, anyway. Puck has to be handled in a certain way."

Rachel raised an eyebrow at Quinn's comments about Puck, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she said, "Well, Finn seems like a really wonderful man."

* * *

**June 2009**

"So how did your freshman year go?"

Rachel looked up as Finn joined her on the back deck. Her mother and Russell were currently throwing a cookout to celebrate the homecoming of Rachel and Quinn. She smiled at him and stood up, smoothing her sundress out.

"It was fabulous. I had so much fun. I loved rooming across the hall from your brother, by the way."

Finn chuckled. "Kurt certainly is a handful. I apologize for any hurtful things that he's said to you."

Rachel laughed. Kurt certainly had a way about him, and Finn had been dealing with him for far longer than she had. "He does it with love. Did Kurt tell you that he, Santana, and I have rented an apartment together for next year?"

Finn smiled at her. "Yeah, he told me when I got here. That's awesome. Maybe we'll be seeing more of each other."

Rachel blushed under his amber eyed gaze and charming smile. Despite the fact that he was dating her stepsister, they hadn't really seen each other a lot over the past year. Rachel and Quinn always managed to meet up for lunch or dinner at least once a week, but Finn was never really there.

"That would be nice," Rachel said.

They just stood there, smiling at each other for several long moments. Then the moment was broken when the door to the balcony slid open and Kurt came buzzing out. He grinned when he saw the two of them, and there was a twinkle in his eye that made Rachel quite nervous. Usually, it meant that Kurt was up to something when he got that look in his eye.

"There's my darling diva and my wonderful big brother!" Kurt exclaimed as he threw his arms around Finn and Rachel's shoulders. "I've been looking everywhere for the two of you. What are you hiding out here for?"

Finn looked at Rachel over Kurt's head and smiled. "Rach and I were just talking," he said.

Kurt looked pointedly at Rachel over the use of her new nickname. Rachel's cheeks flushed and she refused to make eye contact with Kurt. He smirked. "Oh, well that sounds like so much fun. Listen, Finn, Carole was actually looking for you. She needs you to taste test, or something."

Finn's face lit up at the prospect of his mother's food, causing both Kurt and Rachel to laugh. "I'll see you guys later," he said as he went back into the house.

Rachel watched Finn go; Kurt watched Rachel watch Finn. He shook his head in amusement before clearing his throat loudly, causing Rachel to jump. She whipped towards him, her cheeks flaming bright red.

"Could you be any more obvious?"

Rachel avoided eye contact. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about, missy. You're in love with my older brother!"

"What?" Rachel's cheeks only went redder, which did not help her case at all. And she still refused to look Kurt in the eye. "That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! I'm not in love with Finn!"

"Okay," Kurt said. He cocked an eyebrow. "You're not in love with him. But you definitely have a thing for him!"

"Kurt, that is my sister's boyfriend!" Rachel looked towards the door to make sure that no one could hear them. She didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea… or realize that Kurt was completely right. "I would never have a crush on my sister's boyfriend."

"Right. Just keep telling yourself that."

Rachel lifted her chin and put her acting skills to good use. "I think that you're really blowing this out of proportion. Finn and I were just talking. We're barely even acquaintances."

"Oh really?" Kurt crossed his arms and stared Rachel down, but he couldn't keep the note of amusement out of his voice. The whole thing was really very entertaining. "Rachel, dear, you check Finn out whenever he walks into the room. Your face lights up at even the mention of his name. I see you giving him dreamy looks when you think no one else is watching."

Rachel stared at Kurt for a long moment before she finally sighed. There really was no use in hiding it anymore, was there? "Please don't tell anyone," she pleaded. "Finn is Quinn's boyfriend. I wouldn't do that to her."

Kurt wrinkled his nose. "You know that I love Quinn dearly, but I just don't think that she's a good match for my brother." Seeing the look on Rachel's face, he sighed and relented. "Fine. But I'm only doing this for you."

Rachel hugged her friend tightly. "Thank you so much, Kurt," she said sincerely. She really didn't want to cause any trouble. It was just best to ignore her feelings for Finn. He probably didn't even think of her as any more than his girlfriend's little sister/little brother's best friend, anyway.

Kurt smirked as hugged her back before pulling away. "Just know that I'll be there to say 'I told you so' one day. Rachel Berry, you're falling in love with Finn Hudson."

* * *

**Author's Note: I know that this is slow going so far, but I promise that this story will pick up soon. There will be another chapter of background before we get into the really good stuff. Thanks for reading, and please let me know what you think!**


	2. listen and wait

**Author's Note: Wow! I had no idea that I would get such an amazing response to this story! Thank you for all of the amazing reviews and favorites and follows. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! This chapter title is taken from "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

**October 2009**

Rachel quickly made her way over to the front door of her, Kurt, and Santana's apartment. Whoever was knocking on it refused to relent until someone answered, and it had been Rachel who had finally decided to get up to get it.

With a yawn, she pushed her hair back and opened the door with her free hand. It was entirely too early in the morning for someone to be knocking like that, honestly. She could hear a stream of Spanish curse words escaping from Santana's room.

It took Rachel a moment to realize that Quinn was standing at her door. And it took her another moment to see that she was crying. Rachel quickly pulled her sister into her apartment and hugged her tightly.

"Quinn, what's wrong?" she asked. Quinn was seriously scaring her. She had never seen her older sister break down like this before. "Is everything okay? Is it Mom? Or Russell?"

Quinn shook her head and tried to talk, but she was crying too hard. Rachel was getting really worried now. Something had to be very wrong with Quinn, then. Rachel grabbed her hand and tried to get her sister to focus.

"Please, Quinn. Tell me what's wrong." At this point, Quinn's crying had woken up Santana and Kurt. They had both come out of their rooms but had yet to say anything. Rachel was grateful for their silent support, though.

Quinn coughed and cleared her throat before attempting to brush her continuous tears from her eyes. She squeezed Rachel's hand tightly and sniffled loudly.

"Rachel…" she said. She managed a shaky smile. "I'm pregnant."

* * *

"She's pregnant with my brother's kid. I'm not sure how I feel about this."

"Quinn isn't a bad person, Kurt," Rachel defended quickly.

"I know that," Kurt said. He glanced at Santana and shared a look with her. The Latina just shrugged her shoulders, and Kurt sighed. "It's just… do you really think that Finn and Quinn make a good couple?"

Rachel bit her lip. It was her older sister, after all. She didn't want to say anything mean, but… "No," she finally admitted. Finn and Quinn didn't really mesh very well. Sure, they got along well enough, but they just didn't seem very… happy. They just existed as two people that said they were together, instead of an actual couple.

"Exactly. I'm just worried about this baby. What's going to happen when Finn and Quinn break up? Because they're going to, inevitably. And what's going to happen to the baby then?"

Rachel was unusually quiet as she listened to Kurt worry out loud. Santana noticed this and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She should have known that something like this was going to happen. Rachel always did dive head first into things.

"You're not okay, Rachel," Santana said.

Rachel shook her head. "I'm fine, Tana. Really."

"No you're not."

Rachel sighed and dragged a hand through her hair. "No," she said quietly. She knew that it was ridiculous. She shouldn't like Finn. He was her sister's boyfriend, and now they were going to have a baby together. She should in no way have these feelings for Finn. But she couldn't help it. Rachel had fallen hard for him from the moment she saw that sweet half smile.

"Oh Rachel," Kurt said. He hugged her on her other side.

"No." Rachel shook her head. "It's okay. I'm going to be okay. Finn and Quinn are going to have a baby, and I'm going to be an aunt. It's going to be great."

* * *

Instead of early in the morning, this series of knocks were coming late at night. Just like the first time, however, Rachel was the one to answer the door. She yawned and stretched before opening the door.

Rachel was surprised to see Finn standing in the doorway. He looked up at her with bloodshot eyes and attempted a smile.

"Finn," Rachel said. She tried to think of something else to say, but she couldn't come up with anything.

"Hey, Rach," he said. "Is Kurt around?"

"Yes, of course. Just give me a moment, and I'll find him." Rachel stepped aside and allowed Finn to come in. She shut the door behind him as he walked slowly over to the couch and sank down on to it, pressing his face into his hands.

Rachel couldn't help herself. Before she went to get Kurt, she sat next to Finn on the couch and put a hand on his back. He tilted his head just enough to look at her, and a ghost of that half smile appeared on his face.

"I just want you to know that I'm going to be there for Quinn, Rachel," Finn said. "I don't really know what I'm doing, but I won't abandon her and the baby. I promise."

Rachel pushed her own feelings aside. They didn't matter anymore. "I know you won't, Finn," she said. She moved her hand soothingly on his back. "Everything is going to be okay."

"How can you know that for sure?" Finn whispered. His eyes shone with uncertainty. "How do you know that I won't be a bad father? That I won't completely mess this up?"

"Oh, Finn." Rachel squeezed his shoulder and looked right into his eyes. "You're going to be a wonderful father."

Finn's hand slid over Rachel's, and he squeezed it in return. They smiled at each other for a few moments. Suddenly, Rachel remembered where she was, who, exactly, she was with, and what the situation was. She squeezed his hand again before she stood up and went to find Kurt.

* * *

**December 2009**

"This has got to be the most awkward Christmas dinner ever."

Rachel couldn't help but agree with Kurt's whispered statement as they watched the tense dinner unfold before them. Russell kept glaring at Finn. Finn's parents, Carole and Burt, were just trying to make sure that everything was going smoothly. Shelby was trying to placate Russell and make sure that Quinn was okay. Puck was there for moral support, but he kept making crude comments (and Rachel was pretty sure that he had hit on her mom once or twice. That was just… ew). Finn, for his part, kind of looked like he was about to throw up.

Rachel had already celebrated Hanukkah with her Daddy and Papa back at their house. She was kind of wishing that she was back there right now, instead of here. Seeing the look on Kurt's face, she knew that he was thinking the same thing.

"So," Shelby said. She stood up and clapped her hands together, smiling at everyone. "Who's ready for dessert?" Dropping her hand to Russell's shoulder, she squeezed encouragingly. "Why don't you come help me, Russell?"

The blonde man slowly stood up. With one last glare at Finn, he went to the kitchen with his wife. All of the occupants at the table sat in silence for a long moment before Quinn pushed her chair back and stood up.

"I need to go outside," she declared. "I need some fresh air."

"Do you need me to go with you?" Finn asked immediately, his brow furrowed in concern.

Quinn shot him a glare. "No, I'll be fine." Without another word, she turned and disappeared from the dining room. Finn sat back in his chair, frowning down at his hands.

Another moment passed before Puck said, "I'm gonna go outside and get a smoke. Be back in a minute."

Only Carole, Burt, Kurt, Finn, and Rachel were left at the table. Rachel nudged Kurt, hoping that he would start up some conversation. Kurt nudged Rachel in return and shrugged his shoulders. He was content to watch for the time being.

"So, Mr. and Mrs. Hummel," Rachel began. "You live in Lima, Ohio?"

"We do," Carole said. "But it certainly is nice to come up to New York for the holidays. The city is beautiful during this time of year."

Rachel grinned. "I love it here." Getting a sudden idea, she clapped her hands excitedly. "We should go to Rockefeller Center! You can see the tree, and we can look at the skating rink. This is one of my favorite times of the year, and I would love to show you all around." Finn caught her eye and smiled, and she gave him a beaming Rachel Berry grin in return.

"That sounds wonderful, doesn't it Burt?" Carole said.

"And we can go shopping," Kurt said dreamily. "So much shopping."

Burt groaned while Carole laughed. "I don't know if your father and Finn will enjoy it, but we can go shopping." When Finn didn't say anything, everyone at the table turned to look at him. Carole reached over to get her son's attention. "Finn, are you okay?"

Finn shook his head a little bit. "Yeah. I just, uh… I need to go outside for a minute." He sent them all a small smile, trying to reassure them. "I'll be right back."

The rest of his family (plus Rachel) watched him go. Carole shook her head sadly while Burt wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. "I'm so worried about him," she said quietly.

"Finn has a good head on his shoulders," Burt said reassuringly. He kissed his wife's temple. "He's going to be okay."

Rachel's heart broke for the family in front of her. They wanted to support their son, but Rachel's mother and stepfather weren't exactly being accommodating. And Quinn was being less than helpful, as well.

When Quinn and Finn had told Shelby and Russell, they had been less than thrilled. Russell was very conservative and thought that children should definitely be saved for marriage. The only reason he hadn't completely blown a gasket was because both Shelby and Rachel had managed to calm him down. Later, Shelby had pulled Quinn aside and checked to see if her stepdaughter was absolutely sure about keeping the baby. Things had been a little tense since then, but they were trying to work through it.

Kurt and Rachel looked at each other again, each wondering if they should say something. They couldn't really think of anything, however, so they just continued to sit in silence. Kurt eventually got up and went to the other side of the table to hug Carole.

"A baby is a blessing, right?" he said. "So we should stop being so worried and just be happy for Finn and Quinn."

Carole nodded her head and gave her stepson a smile. "You're absolutely right, Kurt."

Rachel pushed her chair back and quietly stood up. This seemed very much like a family moment, and Rachel didn't want to intrude. Before she could leave the room, however, a yell and a loud crash reached them from outside.

Instinctively knowing that something was very wrong, Rachel raced out to the backyard. Everyone else was quick to follow her. They stepped outside just in time to see Finn punch Puck and knock him to the ground.

"Finn!" Quinn cried.

"No!" Finn whipped around and thrust a finger into Quinn's face. "You don't get to defend him! And you definitely don't get to yell at me!"

"Finn!" Carole admonished this time.

Russell glared at Finn. "You better have a very good reason as to why you're yelling at my daughter."

By this time, Puck had gotten back to his feet. He stood next to Quinn, who looked nervously between the two men. Finn didn't look away from Puck and Quinn, his brow furrowed in a dark glare. "Go ahead, Quinn," he said with a bitter laugh. "Tell them what happened."

Quinn's mouth opened. "I… I…" She seemed to be at a loss for words as she looked at Finn, then Puck, then at the rest of her family.

"Quinn, what is he talking about?" Shelby asked.

Quinn turned pleading eyes towards her parents. "Shelby… Daddy…" she said. "Please—"

"Tell them!" Finn bellowed, pointing at the small group of people watching them.

Tears started streaming down Quinn's cheeks. To everyone's surprise, Puck reached out and pulled Quinn into his arms. She snuggled close to him before she admitted, "The baby isn't Finn's. It's Puck's."

* * *

"I just can't believe it."

Rachel turned to face Kurt as he settled into bed next to her. After Quinn's confession, Finn had punched Puck again and stalked off. It caused another fight to break out between Russell, Shelby, Quinn, and Puck. Carole and Burt stayed long enough to help Rachel clean up the kitchen, and Kurt went after Finn. He had just returned and was ready to fill Rachel in on everything that had happened.

Rachel bit her bottom lip. "I think I knew that this was going to happen. The day that we moved into the dorms freshman year, I noticed something between Quinn and Puck, but I didn't think very much of it."

"I don't think any of us did," Kurt said. "Because we all definitely noticed it. I think that deep down, Finn might have, too."

Rachel shook her head slowly. She felt bad for Quinn and Puck, but she felt even worse for Finn. "What did he say?"

Kurt grimaced. "He said that when he walked outside, he found Quinn and Puck kissing. That's when it all came out. Quinn told him that she had been seeing Puck behind his back for almost the entire time they had been dating."

"This is just one big mess." Rachel pulled the blankets up to her chin. "Do you think that Finn will be okay?"

Kurt gave Rachel a look that she couldn't quite read. "I think he might be, one day."

* * *

**September 2012**

Rachel picked through the bags of grapes until she found one that she was pleased with. She placed them into the basket at her feet and then moved on to the bags of lettuce. As she perused, she bumped into someone and dropped her basket. The contents went everywhere, and Rachel groaned as she stooped to collect them.

"I'm really sorry," a deep, masculine voice said. He gathered up several items as well and deposited them into the basket.

Rachel looked up, her mouth open to deliver some snippy retort, but she found herself staring into a pair of familiar amber eyes. Her jaw slackened as she took a step back.

There was that half smile. "Rachel Berry."

"Finn Hudson." Rachel felt a grin of her own forming on her face. "We really have to stop meeting like this."

Finn chuckled before he said, "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Almost three years," Rachel replied as she nodded her head. She couldn't believe that it had been that long. The passing years had been very good to Finn. His hair was a little bit shorter, he had a little bit of scruff on his jaw, and he was still as gorgeous as ever.

"Wow. It really has been a long time." They began to walk, and Finn picked up her basket. Rachel opened her mouth to protest, but Finn held his hand up. "I've seen Kurt, but you were never around whenever I stopped by the apartment."

"I've been busy with the shows at NYADA. Recently, I've been swamped with auditions," Rachel said. She didn't want to tell him that she had kind of avoided seeing Finn on purpose. She thought that he really wouldn't want to see her, given that she was Quinn's little sister.

But it didn't seem that that was the case. "We should catch up some time. Kurt told me that you're part of the chorus for _West Side Story_. And you're an understudy, too?"

"For the part of Maria," Rachel said as she nodded her head. She loved working on Broadway, but she was still waiting for her big break.

Finn grinned at her. "That's awesome. You can tell me all about it when we hang out." He stopped walking and dug his phone out of his pocket. He handed it to her, and their fingers brushed. "Put your number in and I'll call you."

Rachel pulled her phone out of her purse and handed it to him as well. "I'd really like that."

They reached the checkout line, and Finn waited with Rachel. When they were finished, he helped her load the groceries into a taxi that he hailed for her. Before she could get in, he caught her hand and squeezed it.

"It was nice seeing you again, Rachel," he said. His amber eyes twinkled as he grinned.

Rachel smiled in return. "You too, Finn."

Finn squeezed her hand again before he let go. Rachel watched him go and felt her hand tingle where he had touched her. There was another thing that was true, also: the past three years hadn't diminished Rachel's feelings for Finn, either.

* * *

**Author's Note: Now that we have the background covered, the story will really be picking up. Thanks for reading!**


	3. just remember how it feels

**Author's Note: So let's talk about how awesome you all are. Seriously, I am so in awe of the response to this. Thank you so much! This chapter title comes from "Little Wonders" by Rob Thomas.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

Rachel snatched up her phone as it began to ring. In her haste to get it, she hadn't had a chance to check the screen to see who was calling. She could only hope that it was Finn Hudson. It had been two days since their run in at the supermarket, and she had been on cloud nine since then.

Kurt and Santana had noticed the change in her demeanor. They had asked about it, but Rachel had tried her best to play it off. She had no idea what they would say if they found out she was going out for coffee with Finn Hudson.

"Hello?" she said as she answered.

"Hey, Rach!" Finn's warm voice caused tingles to spread down Rachel's spine. She grinned as she flopped down onto her bed. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How about you?"

"I just got off of work. Seventy-two hour shifts can be pretty brutal, but I have the next couple of days off. I figured we could go grab a cup of coffee tomorrow and hang out."

"That sounds great," Rachel said. She gripped her phone a little tighter in her hand and tried to calm herself down. It wasn't a date. It was just two old friends—acquaintances, really—meeting to catch up with each other.

Still, this was the first time that it would be just her and Finn. No sisters, no brothers, no other family members or friends around to cause any type of distractions.

"Great. I'll stop by your apartment and pick you up around three o'clock tomorrow. I know about this little coffee place that has some great vegan dessert options."

Wow. He was picking her up tomorrow. Not only that, but he remembered that she was a vegan and was taking it into account. She couldn't get over what a sweet guy Finn Hudson was.

"Alright. I'll see you then."

She could hear the smile in his voice. "Bye, Rach."

"Goodbye, Finn."

* * *

"You are a twenty-one year old woman, Rachel. You should not be acting like this."

No matter how many times she told herself that, Rachel couldn't get rid of the feeling of giddiness that was coursing through her. So there she was, standing in front of her closet as she tried to figure out what to wear. She finally pulled a pretty navy blue sundress out of her closet and quickly put it on. Tucking her feet into a pair of sandals, she grabbed her purse just as the intercom buzzed.

Rachel ran down the stairs and took a deep breath before she opened the door. Finn was leaning against the wall, his hands tucked into his jeans. He had on a white button down shirt, and his hair was tousled from the fall breeze.

God, it really should be illegal for him to look that good.

And there was that crooked grin. It was as if he was trying to make her melt into a puddle of goo on purpose. "Hey, Rach! You look be—" He paused and seemed to think for a moment before he continued. "You look really nice."

"Thanks, Finn. So do you," Rachel said. He held his arm out and Rachel took it, slipping her hand into the crook of his elbow.

"It's only a couple of blocks from here."

"Alright. So while we're walking, you can tell me about what's been going on in your life. Kurt has told you all about me, apparently. So fill me in on what's happening with you."

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "Nothing has changed much since we last saw each other. I'm still working at the same station, Kurt still annoys me, my mother still worries about me. You know, the usual."

Rachel laughed. "It's Kurt's way of showing that he cares."

They entered the small café and ordered their drinks and desserts. Once they had their orders, they took a seat back in the corner of the café. Rachel swiped some icing off of the brownie she had and sucked it off her finger. She could have sworn that Finn's eyes zeroed in on the motion and darkened, but that couldn't have been possible. Finn never looked at her in that way before, so why would he start now?

He cleared his throat. "So how is your family doing?"

Rachel looked up at Finn, surprised that he would ask that question. She was under the impression that he didn't like her family very much. But his face was completely open and sincere; he actually wanted to hear her answer.

"They're good," Rachel finally said. "Mom and Russell are doing well. They're busy planning the wedding, and—" Rachel stopped abruptly. She didn't know if Finn knew about Puck and Quinn's upcoming nuptials. It still had to be a touchy subject for him, after all.

To Rachel's complete shock, Finn didn't look all that surprised by the news of the wedding. In fact, he just nodded his head and said, "Puck told me a little bit about it."

Rachel's mouth dropped open. "You've been talking to Noah?"

He smiled at the way she called Puck by his given name (it wasn't her fault that she thought Noah was a perfectly good name while Puck was not). "Yeah, I've talked to Puck. I saw him a few weeks ago at the gym and he told me all about the wedding and Beth. I'm glad that they're doing so well."

Rachel couldn't stop the words from pouring out of her mouth. "And you're not angry?"

Finn's brow furrowed and he gave her a confused look. "Why would I be angry?"

"I just… I thought… given everything that happened…"

Finn stared at Rachel for a long moment before he started laughing. "Rach, that was a while ago. Trust me when I say that it doesn't bother me anymore."

Rachel gave Finn a skeptical look. "Really?"

"Really. I promise." When Rachel still didn't look as if she believed him, Finn gathered up their things. "Here, why don't we take a walk in the park? That way, we can talk more. You can ask me whatever questions you want."

Ten minutes later, Rachel and Finn were strolling through the park. Rachel was still snacking on her brownie, and Finn had finished his cupcake long ago. She picked at the corner of the brownie as she looked up at Finn. He didn't look at all bothered by the fact that she was about to ask him questions about his failed relationship with her stepsister.

"So you're really over it?" Rachel asked suddenly.

Finn chuckled. "Yes, Rachel. I'm really over it."

"But…"

"But what? Would you rather that I was still hung up on what happened almost three years ago?"

"No! Of course not." Rachel shook her head. "I just can't believe that you're friends with Puck again. The last time I saw the two of you together, you punched him. Twice."

Finn snorted. "I wouldn't exactly say that Puck and I are best friends, but I don't hate the guy. Well… at least, not anymore."

"I'm sorry that that had to happen," Rachel said quietly. "I noticed something between them before, but I didn't think much of it. You didn't deserve what happened."

Finn's eyes softened as he looked down at her. "Rachel…" He took her hand and led her over to a bench. Once they were situated, Finn turned towards her. "Are you trying to tell me that you think the whole thing was your fault?"

Seriously? How did he read her so well? "Not my fault, exactly," Rachel said as she toyed with the hem of her dress. "I should have said something before, when I realized that something was going on between them—"

"Rachel, please stop." Finn squeezed her hand. "I never once blamed you for what happened. How could I? It was in no way your fault. It wasn't your job to tell me that there was something going on between Quinn and Puck. Honestly, I should have realized it sooner."

"I'm just glad that you're doing so well, Finn," Rachel said.

Finn smiled at her, and that dimple appeared in his cheek. "I am. And I was glad to hear that Puck and Quinn were getting married, and that Beth was growing up so well."

Rachel shook her head. "You're amazing," she said softly, and Finn's cheeks flushed red. She popped the last of her brownie into her mouth and licked her lips. Finn's eyes remained trained on her mouth. After a long moment, he reached out and cupped her cheek.

"You have some icing right here," he murmured as he brushed his calloused thumb against the corner of her mouth.

Finn's eyes were dark as he gazed down at her. Rachel slid her hand over Finn's as her heart pounded loudly in her ears. She had dreamed about this so many times, and now it was actually happening. It was almost unbelievable as Finn inched closer to her.

"You know," Rachel whispered. "You can kiss me if you want to."

Finn's thumb brushed against her bottom lip. "I want to," he breathed.

A moment later, Finn's mouth came down over Rachel's. As soon as their lips touched, Rachel knew that she wouldn't be able to get enough of this feeling. Her fingers locked in his hair as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Finn's tongue swept lightly across her bottom lip, and Rachel's mouth parted.

She would never get over this feeling. This was the best kiss that Rachel had ever received. Finn made her feel things that she had never felt before. When breath became a necessity, they broke apart. Rachel beamed at Finn and he smiled at her before she closed the gap between them again, pressing her mouth to his.

Rachel got lost in the feel of his lips on hers for a few blissful moments before she suddenly realized who, exactly, she was kissing. With a gasp, Rachel pulled back from Finn and stared at him with wide eyes. He smiled at her and reached forward to kiss her again, but Rachel pushed on his chest.

Finn's brow furrowed. "Rach?"

Rachel pulled herself out of Finn's embrace and scrambled off the bench. "I… I'm sorry, Finn. I can't."

He stood up and reached for her again, his amber eyes shining with concern. "Rachel, please—"

"No, Finn," Rachel repeated as she backed away from him. "I can't."

The last thing Rachel saw was the look of utter hurt on Finn's face before she left.

* * *

Santana came snuck up behind Rachel and yanked on her ponytail. Rachel jumped and grabbed her head, turning to glare at her friend. "Santana!"

The Latina put her hands on her hips and gave the petite brunette a pointed look. "You've been acting weird for the past two days, Berry. What the hell is up?"

Rachel immediately looked away. "Nothing. Everything is fine."

"Yeah right," Santana said with a snort. "I don't believe you." When Rachel didn't say anything, Santana tilted her head and nudged her shoulder. "Come on, Rachel. I know you. I can tell when something is bothering you."

Rachel sighed and brushed her bangs back from her forehead. She could tell that she wasn't going to get out of this one. But there was no way that she would give her any specifics. While Santana was fiercely loyal and wouldn't go blabbing about it, Rachel knew that she was going to rag on her for this for a very long time.

"What if you did something that you knew was wrong, but it just felt so right that you wanted to do it over and over again for the rest of your life?"

There was a suspicious knowing look in Santana's eyes as she crossed her arms and watched Rachel. Finally, she said, "Then I would say that if it felt so right, then it couldn't be wrong. Do you want it?"

Oh, did she want it. "More than anything."

"Then go after it, Berry. Don't be afraid to do something that makes you feel good. As long as it's not harmful or illegal. Although, there are some things that are illegal that are definitely worth doing at least once."

Rachel laughed. "It's not illegal, Tana. But thanks for your concern."

"Have fun, Berry. And don't worry, I won't tell Kurt why you've been such a spaz lately."

* * *

Just like it had for the past two days, Rachel's phone rang at five o'clock. Finn's name flashed across the screen, and she bit her lip before she picked the phone up and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Rachel." Finn's voice sounded relieved. "I'm sorry if I did anything to make you feel uncomfortable—"

"You didn't, Finn," Rachel interrupted in a quiet voice.

Now he sounded surprised. "I didn't?"

"No." Rachel curled up into a ball on her bed. "I was really glad that you kissed me. More than glad, actually."

"I don't understand, Rachel. Why did you run away, then?"

Rachel's heart was pounding her ears again. The truth spilled from her lips before she could stop herself. "I guess I just felt guilty."

"Felt guilty? About wh—" Finn stopped himself when realization suddenly hit. He sighed. "Rachel, I think we need to talk."

"We do," Rachel agreed. It didn't help that she really wanted to see Finn again.

"I'm off right now," Finn said. "I don't know if you want to come over here, or if you want me to go over there…"

Rachel would feel a lot more comfortable on her own turf. "Kurt and Santana are going to be out for the rest of the day. Why don't you come over here?"

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

* * *

**Author's Note: I know I'm cruel for ending it there. But, you know: I had to create some type of suspense. :) Right now, I'm really big on building Finn and Rachel's relationship and having them work through their problems together, so that is really going to be a main focus here. Thanks for reading!**


	4. it's when i hold you

**Author's Note: As always, thanks for the amazing reviews. I can't believe how much you're all enjoying this story! Here's the next chapter. Thanks! This chapter title comes from "Syndicate" by The Fray.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

Rachel paced back and forth as she waited for Finn to arrive. She really wished that she could talk to someone about what was going on. Too bad everyone she could talk to already knew Finn and would totally freak out it if they knew about what had happened.

As soon as she heard Finn's voice over the intercom, Rachel buzzed him up. She continued pacing until she heard a knock on the door. She took a deep, calming breath before she opened it and put a small smile on her face to greet him.

Finn looked as devastatingly handsome as he did two days ago. His amber eyes were full of concern as he stepped into the apartment and looked down at Rachel. He reached out to take her hand but pulled back at the last second.

"Please help me to understand, Rachel," Finn finally said. "Because I really enjoyed kissing you, and I'd like to do it again sometime."

Rachel's heart thumped so loudly she feared Finn could hear it. "I think you need to help me understand first, Finn," she said. "Why… why did you kiss me?"

Finn's brow furrowed. "Because I wanted to."

"But… why?"

This time, Finn did take her hand in both of his, squeezing tightly. There was already so much confusion that there was really no use in beating around the bush. Finn was just going to have to tell her the truth, even though he had never really been good with words. "I like you, Rachel. I really like you. I have for a long time. Seeing you again at the supermarket… it was pretty perfect, Rach. I didn't call you two days ago with the intention of kissing you or trying anything. I was going to at least wait a little bit." He shrugged his shoulders. "I just.. I knew it was my chance. So I took it."

"But how?" Rachel's mind was reeling. Finn liked her? She couldn't believe it… but she really wanted to. "That means… _Finn._" Rachel gasped. "When you were dating Quinn…"

A guilty looked flashed in Finn's eyes and he nodded his head. "I liked Quinn and I cared about her," Finn explained. "But when I met you that day in the NYADA hallway, Rachel… I don't know what happened, but it was like there was an instant connection formed. Kind of like… a tether, I guess."

Rachel had felt the exact same way all those years ago. She had pushed those feelings down, but now that she knew that Finn felt exactly the way she did, she couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. It seemed that Finn couldn't, either, from the way his eyes were darkening.

"I tried not to," Finn said. "Quinn and I were fine, but we weren't happy. We were barely content, really. And then she got pregnant, and it changed everything. After seeing you again, I knew that this was the chance to act on my feelings, and Rachel… it kind of seemed like you felt the same way."

Rachel's fingers tightened around Finn's. "I had a crush on you from the very first moment I met you," she admitted. "But you were my older sister's boyfriend and…" She trailed off and bit her lip.

Finn shifted closer to her, and his hand began to caress her arm. "And what?"

Rachel exhaled slowly. "And I really want to kiss you again."

Finn grinned before and slid a hand into her hair, tilting her head back so that he could bring his mouth down over hers. Rachel pressed herself closer to him, fisting his shirt in her hands. A breathy moan escaped her lips as his tongue dipped into her mouth. Finn pulled away only to brush his lips across Rachel's jaw and then down her neck, nipping and sucking at her soft skin. Rachel's fingers locked in his hair as she tilted her head back, allowing Finn more access.

"I want to do this properly," Finn mumbled against her neck. He pulled back and cupped her cheek in his hand. "So will you let me take you out on Friday?"

Rachel beamed at Finn and placed a quick kiss on his lips. "I'd really like that. Actually… we have a few more hours until Kurt and Santana are due home. Do you want to stay and watch a movie?"

"That sounds awesome," Finn said with his adorable half smile.

Rachel scanned the shelf of movies they had in the corner of the living room. She turned back to Finn with a sheepish look on her face. "It looks like we only have Broadway classics. And, uh… some pornography. But those are Santana's and she _knows_ that she's not supposed to have those out here."

Finn chuckled and stood up, walking over to join Rachel by the DVD case. "Which one is your favorite?" he asked.

"_Funny Girl_," Rachel answered immediately. "Hands down, it is my absolute favorite movie."

"Let's watch that, then," Finn said.

Rachel smiled as she pulled it from the shelf. "Are you sure? It might not be your type of movie."

"I'm sure," Finn replied. "It's your favorite movie. How bad can it be?"

* * *

Half an hour later, Rachel had resigned herself to not watching the movie.

"We're not… we're not actually going to watch, are we?" A gasp escaped Rachel's lips as Finn nibbled at her neck.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Finn pulled back and forced himself to sit up straight. "I'll behave, I swear."

Rachel laughed and lifted Finn's arm up, snuggling close to him. "I definitely didn't mind it, Finn."

"It's your fault, you know," Finn teased.

"Oh really?" Rachel was glad that she didn't have to hide her feelings for Finn anymore. She was free to tease and flirt with him as much as she wanted to; especially since they were now going out. And Finn seemed just as excited by that prospect as she was. "And why is that?"

Finn smirked and ran his fingers through her hair. "I just can't stop touching you. Or kissing you."

Rachel laughed. "I can't say that anyone has ever said that to me before."

"Well, it's true." Finn pressed a kiss to Rachel's forehead and pulled her closer. "Now, why don't you explain to me what's happening in the movie, since I wasn't exactly paying attention for the first half hour."

"Are you sure you want to know?" Rachel asked. "I completely understand if it's not your kind of movie."

"It's your favorite, so we're going to watch it," Finn said. "I don't mind. I plan on knowing a lot more about Rachel Berry and her favorites."

"Only if you tell me what your favorite movie is, Finn."

"That's easy. _Braveheart_."

"I've never seen it."

Finn gasped dramatically. "You've never seen _Braveheart_? Well, that's going to be our second date, then."

"And what's our first going to be?" Rachel tried to keep the large smile from forming on her face. He was already talking about a second date. This was something that Finn really wanted.

Finn grinned at her. "It's a surprise."

"Oh really? A surprise?"

"Yes, a surprise. You can live with that, can't you?"

"Hmm." Rachel sidled closer to Finn, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck. His eyes went wide and then dark, but he kept his hands to himself. Rachel leaned forward until her lips were hovering right over his. "There's no way that I can get you to tell me?"

"Uh… No." Finn swallowed hard as his fists tightened. Rachel smiled.

"Really? There's nothing I can do?" Her lips ghosted over his and then down his strong jaw. She nibbled gently on the spot where his jaw met his neck and smiled against his skin when he groaned. "Nothing at all?"

"Nope," Finn breathed.

Rachel sucked lightly until a mark was left. "You sure about that?"

Suddenly, Rachel was underneath Finn and on her back on the sofa. She let out a gasp of surprise before Finn's mouth came down over hers. His tongue slipped into her mouth as he kissed her deeply, his body pressing into hers.

When he pulled away, Rachel stared at him with wide eyes before she giggled. "Feel free to do that any time you want."

Finn chuckled and pressed another light kiss to her lips. "I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

Rachel hummed as she ran a spatula through the stir fry she was cooking. She heard the door open and then Santana and Kurt's voices as they entered the apartment. She worked hard to tone down the bright grin on her face, but she couldn't help herself. She was just so _happy_.

"Smells good, Berry!" Santana said as she came into the kitchen. "What are you cooking up?"

Rachel looked up at her best friend. "Some stir fry. It doesn't even have any tofu in it. Just some vegetables."

"Oh. Well today must have been a good day, then, if you forwent the shitty stuff. Did anything happen?"

"Not particularly," Rachel said. "It was just a nice day."

Santana looked at her with a raised eyebrow before she took several plates out of the cabinet and set them on the counter. "Well, I'm certainly not complaining if it means I get to eat semi-real food for a change. Hey, Lady Hummel! Rachel is making real food!"

"Thank God! I am starving." Kurt came bustling into the kitchen with a bottle of wine. He quickly popped it open and retrieved three wine glasses. He turned towards Rachel, his mouth open, but he dropped one of the glasses and pointed at her. "Rachel Berry, what is _that_?"

"Way to go, Hummel," Santana said with a groan. "That was my favorite glass, too."

Kurt waved his hand dismissively. "We have bigger things to worry about, Santana. Like the hickey that Rachel has on her neck."

"_What?_"

Now both Santana and Kurt were staring at a spot on the left side of her neck. Rachel touched the spot they were staring at and, sure enough, she felt the slight swelling. Her cheeks reddened as she remembered the way Finn's lips had felt on her neck. Putting her amazing acting skills to use, Rachel schooled her features and spoke in a nonchalant voice.

"That's not a hickey," she said calmly.

Santana raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that? Because that definitely looks like a hickey, Berry."

"Well, it's not."

"Then what is it?"

"It's a burn from a curling iron." Rachel held up the ends of her hair. "I curled it today. It happens." (Really, though, she had curled her hair that day. She had never been more thankful for the coincidence.)

Santana and Kurt exchanged skeptical looks. Rachel didn't miss it, and she turned to them and put her hands on her hips. Taking the time to look them both in the eye, she said, "Well, it's not like I'm with anyone, anyway."

Kurt knew his best friend very well. But he had to admit that he was thrown by the way she was looking him right in the eye. "If you were with someone, we'd be the first to know. Right?"

Rachel smiled at him. "Of course."

Santana and Kurt let the topic drop and went about setting the table. Rachel turned back to the stir fry and let the smile slip slowly off her face. She and Finn hadn't talked about it yet, but she was guessing that they were going to keep their relationship quiet for the time being. She could only imagine how Kurt and Santana would react, let alone the rest of their friends.

"Here you go, my darling diva. You look like you could use this glass of wine."

Rachel took the glass from Kurt and took a sip. She really did feel as though she could use some of that wine. This whole situation suddenly got a lot more difficult.

* * *

"Aunt Ray!"

Rachel smiled as the little blonde toddler ran towards her and wrapped her arms around her legs. Rachel bent down and picked her up, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Hello, Bethie!"

Puck followed his daughter in from the kitchen. "Hey, Q!" he called out. "Berry is here!" He turned to greet her. "'Sup, Berry?"

"It's good to see you too, Noah. What are you up to today?"

"I'm actually about to take Beth to see my mom. Quinn wanted to have a sister bonding day with you to talk about the wedding plans, so I'm getting the hell out of dodge."

"It's your wedding too, you know."

"Hey, I'm part of all the important stuff. Like the food, booze, and the cake. She wants to talk about bridesmaid dresses or some shit with you. Last I checked, I wasn't needed for that."

Rachel smirked. "I don't know, Noah. I've seen pictures of you in that dress in high school. You looked very fashionable."

Puck's eyes narrowed in a glare. "Petunia showed them to you, didn't he? I knew trying to be nice would come back and haunt me. That little punk is trying to use the one time I did something nice for his glee club as blackmail."

Rachel laughed. "You wore that dress quite well. I'll be sure to ask Quinn if we can use that shade of purple for the dresses."

"I've seen those pictures," Quinn said as she came into the room. She kissed Puck on the cheek and then patted it. "My man has some great legs."

"Very funny," Puck muttered. But he was smiling. Rachel handed over Beth to him, and Quinn kissed her forehead and then kissed Puck.

"You two have fun at your mother's," Quinn said.

"Oh, we will. Have fun picking out colors for the dresses. Try to make them look as ugly as possible."

Puck and Quinn kissed again before he and Beth left. Quinn gathered her purse and her jacket and turned to her sister, giving her a hug in greeting. They left the apartment and were in the dress salon twenty minutes later. They were picking the final bridesmaid dress for the wedding.

Rachel stood in front of her sister and smoothed out the light green dress. "So? What do you think?"

"I think it's perfect," Quinn said. The dress was simple, with thin straps and fell to just above the knee. But it was perfect and captured the mood of Quinn and Puck's wedding nicely. "What do you think?"

"It's not as bad as some of the other ones you picked out," Rachel teased. "I would have thrown a fit if you picked the one with the puffy sleeves and that terrible orange color."

Quinn laughed. "I want to look good on my wedding day, but I wouldn't have done that to you."

Rachel went back to get changed. Only a few minutes had passed before Quinn said, "So did you hear about who Puck has been hanging out with recently?"

"No," Rachel said. She noted the change in Quinn's voice but thought nothing of it as she went to hang the dress up. "Who?"

"Finn Hudson."

Rachel froze and almost dropped the dress. She recovered quickly and was glad that Quinn couldn't actually see her. "Really?" she asked. "Since when?"

"A few weeks ago. They met again at the gym. Puck said that Finn was… cordial. They had a nice talk, apparently."

"Well that's… nice. Right?" Rachel didn't want to say anything to reveal that she had known that Puck and Finn had seen each other again. She was aware that she was treading on very dangerous territory right now. She had no idea how Quinn would react to Rachel's new relationship with Finn.

There was a long pause before Quinn said, "I guess so. They were best friends for a long time. They should be able to have a friendship."

Rachel finally felt that she could face Quinn with a straight face. She opened the door to the dressing room and stepped out. "I think Finn and Puck will be able to be friends again," she said reassuringly. "I'm sure Finn doesn't hate you."

"I hope not," Quinn said with a small smile. "Puck wants Finn to be Uncle Finn to Beth. I was hoping that he would like the job, as well. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?"

Rachel nodded her head. They certainly would.

* * *

**Author's Note: So? What do you think? Thanks for reading!**


	5. nobody gets me like you do

**Author's Note: I seriously can't get over how much support this story has gotten so far. I'm pretty much in awe. Thank you so much! This chapter's title is from "I'm Only Me When I'm With You" by Taylor Swift.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own it.**

* * *

"Finn! I got a spare!"

Finn grinned and swept Rachel up into his arms, hugging her tightly. "That's great, Rach!" he exclaimed.

For their first date, Finn had ordered them a white pizza and taken them to the local bowling alley. When he found out that Rachel didn't know how to bowl, Finn offered to show her how and they were having a great time. Finn was an excellent teacher, and Rachel certainly didn't mind the way he was pressed against her.

Rachel pointed to the screen hanging above their lane. "You're still beating me," she said with a pout.

Finn leaned forward and kissed the pout off of her lips. He didn't stop placing light kisses against her mouth until she was smiling. Rachel giggled and pushed on his chest until he stepped away and squeezed her waist.

"I can't just let you win, Rachel. My mom always taught me to respect the opposite sex and treat them as equals."

Well damn. Rachel couldn't really argue with that, now could she? "I'm not asking you to let me win, Finn," she said. "I'm just simply requesting that you stop being so good."

He grinned at her and lifted his bowling ball. "No can do, Rach." With that, he sent his ball down the lane and succeeded in getting a strike. He grinned and Rachel went to pick up her own pink bowling ball.

"I'll have you know, Finn, that I'm very competitive. Just watch and learn." Unfortunately, Rachel's attempt ended with a gutter ball. She heard Finn attempting to stifle his laughter, and she whipped around to give him a mock glare. "Finn Hudson! You better not be laughing at me!"

Finn held his hands up. "I'm not laughing Rach, I swear." But there was a smile playing on his lips, and his cinnamon eyes were sparkling. Rachel couldn't help but return his smile, and he tugged her into his arms.

He kissed her gently as Rachel's fingers curled around the collar of his sweater. She would never get tired of kissing Finn Hudson. "Don't worry, Rachel. Practice makes perfect."

"Are you trying to say that we're going to go bowling again?"

"If you're up for it."

"Finn, I'm going to make it my goal to defeat you at bowling one day."

She kissed him again and Finn grinned against her lips. "I'm going to hold you to that, Rachel Berry," he said. He stood up and reached for his bowling ball. "Why don't I bowl for you for the rest of the game, and you bowl for me?"

Rachel smiled. "Challenge accepted, Finn."

* * *

"I can't believe that you still beat me, even with all the gutter balls I gave you."

Finn chuckled and wrapped his arm around Rachel, pulling her into his side. "I guess I'm just too good, huh?"

Rachel looked up at him with a teasing eyebrow raised. "If you keep acting like that, you might not get a kiss at the end of the night."

Finn swooped down and pressed his lips to Rachel's quickly. "Too late. And besides, you'll be thanking me when you see part two of our date."

"Part two?"

"Well, part two is actually in my apartment. If that's okay with you."

Yeah, that was perfectly okay with Rachel. And if they happened to make out while they were there, she certainly wouldn't have a problem with it. "That's perfectly alright."

Finn squeezed his arm around Rachel and dropped another kiss to her temple. She loved the affection, and Rachel smiled back up at him. It wasn't long before they were at his apartment.

When they stepped in, Rachel let out a little gasp. Right there, in the middle of the living room, was a little picnic. The lights were all dimmed and there were candles and pillows set up. Rachel turned to Finn with a beam on her face.

"You did all of this?" she asked.

Finn shrugged his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I just really wanted this date to be special for you."

"Finn…" Rachel stood on her tiptoes and pulled him close for a kiss. She could feel her heart fill with everything she had felt for Finn since she had first met him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his forehead to hers.

"Come on," he finally murmured.

They settled down on the blankets and fed each other the chocolate covered strawberries and the other fruit Finn that had procured. Rachel playfully nipped at his fingers, getting the excess chocolate off the tips. He looked at her with darkened eyes, and she smirked a little bit.

Rachel sat back against the pillows but was sure to keep their sides pressed together. "So Kurt and Santana noticed the hickey you left on my neck."

Finn smirked. "Oh. Oops." But he looked very unapologetic, and a smile touched Rachel's lips. She couldn't really complain, since it felt so good when he gave it to her.

"They started asking questions," Rachel finally said.

"Oh," Finn repeated. He grimaced a little. He knew exactly how Kurt could get when there was something he wanted to know the answer to.

"I was able to hold off the questions for now," Rachel said. "But I was thinking about it. What do you think Kurt would do if he found out we were dating?"

Finn dragged a hand through his hair. Honestly, he liked Rachel so much that he hadn't really thought about how people react to them being together. Now that he was, he was beginning to realize just how complicated their situation actually was. "He'd probably freak out." When Finn saw the look on Rachel's face, he quickly added, "But not in a bad way. I think that he'd be happy for us."

Rachel drew her knees up to her chest. "At least your sibling will be happy for us."

"Hey." Finn wrapped his arm around Rachel's shoulders and pulled her close to him. "You don't think Quinn would be happy for us?"

"Finn." Rachel looked up at Finn with sad eyes. "You know how Quinn is. She likes to… overreact sometimes."

It was true. In high school, when Quinn and her boyfriend had broken up just before prom and he had asked out the captain of the junior varsity cheerleading squad, Quinn had vandalized the other's girl's posters and then rigged the voting so that she was out of the running entirely. Rachel loved her stepsister dearly, but Quinn did have a streak in her. It didn't come out often now that she was out of school, but it could still be seen from time to time.

"It's been three years since I've even seen her," Finn pointed out.

Rachel shook her head. "The guy she dated her freshman year of college broke up with her and went out with her roommate. She hooked up with his best friend on his bed to get back at him three years later."

"Quinn already did that to me," Finn said wryly. He sighed once again and pressed his cheek to the top of Rachel's head. "But I see your point."

"And you've just started to talk to Noah again. I'd hate for something to ruin that."

"Rach, I don't think Puck would have a problem with us dating."

"I'm not saying that he would. I just think that there would be so much drama…" She trailed off and bit her lip.

"Rachel." Finn put two fingers under her chin and tilted her head up. "We can't keep this a secret forever. You know that, right? Because I'm not ashamed of being with you. And I don't think we have to hide it from anyone."

"Neither do I!" Rachel exclaimed. "I don't want to hide, Finn. But…"

Finn kissed her softly. "I understand," he murmured. And he did. Rachel just wanted everyone to be happy. She had such a big heart, and she hated when the people she loved were angry or upset. Sometimes, however, that led to her denying the things she wanted for herself just to keep other people happy. Finn would go along with this for now, but only because he didn't want Rachel to stress herself out. He knew how she was.

"I don't want you think that I'm trying to hide you, Finn," Rachel said softly. "I'm not. I just want to think of a way to tell Quinn and our parents without having everything blow up in our faces."

"Shit." Finn blanched and he looked down at Rachel with wide eyes. "Your parents. I completely forgot about them. They all hate me."

Finally, Rachel cracked a smile. She rubbed a soothing hand over his back. "That's not true! They don't hate you. My daddy and papa loved you!"

Finn groaned. "But your mother and stepfather hated me. They hated me when I dated Quinn, they hated me when they thought I got her pregnant, and they still hated me when I punched the actual father of her child. If there's something stronger than hate, I'm sure they'll feel it when they find out that I'm dating you."

"Finn, everything will be okay."

"Maybe we should just keep this a secret for the rest of our lives."

"Now who's the one being dramatic?"

"That's easy for you to say!" Finn exclaimed. "My parents love you."

"They do?" Rachel asked. She had seen Carole and Burt over the years, since she lived with Kurt. She absolutely adored the Hummels and always loved when they visited.

Finn nodded his head and smiled. "Ever since that night we had Christmas dinner at your house." He looked at the clock then and noticed how late it was getting. "I should probably get you home now, huh?"

Rachel noticed the time as well and sighed. "I suppose so." She bit her lip before she added, "I don't want this night to end."

Finn kissed her tenderly, his lips lingering against hers. "Neither do I," he muttered against her lips. He stood up and held his hands out, helping to pull Rachel to her feet. "Come on."

The walk back to Rachel's apartment was spent in a comfortable silence. Their hands were linked together, and they walked with their sides pressed together as well. Finn stopped at the building next to Rachel's; they didn't want to risk the chance of Kurt or Santana seeing them together.

"So dinner?" Finn asked. "This Thursday?"

"That sounds perfect," Rachel agreed. "Why don't you come over? I'll cook." Santana had the night shift at the hospital and Kurt was working on his new costume line, so he would be at the theater late into the night.

"Awesome." Finn leaned forward at the same time Rachel stretched up onto her tiptoes. Their parting kiss was deep and passionate, and it left them both breathless when they finally broke apart.

Rachel squeezed his hand before pulling away. "Goodnight, Finn."

"Goodnight, Rachel," Finn called after her. "Sweet dreams."

* * *

"You're awfully chipper today," Tina Cohen-Chang noted. She was in the chorus of _West Side Story_ with Rachel, and they had become friends during their time in the show together.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders but was unable to keep the smile off her face. "I had a good night."

Tina stared at her critically for a long moment before she gasped and pointed at Rachel. "It's a man, isn't it? You're seeing someone!"

"Shh!" Rachel looked around to make sure that no one had heard her. Kurt helped out with the costumes for their show, too, so there was no telling when he would show up. "Not so loud!"

Tina smirked. "So there is a guy, then?"

"Yes," Rachel admitted. Tina didn't know Finn, so it felt good to tell someone. "I went on a date with him last night."

"Who was it?"

"If I tell you, will you tell Kurt?" Rachel asked.

"Ooh." Tina's eyes went wide. "So we're keeping this a secret?"

Rachel nodded her head. "Just for now, at least. Our situation is a little… precarious."

Tina held up her hand. "I swear that I won't tell him. Now spill."

The smile was spreading across Rachel's lips again. "His name is Finn—"

"—Hudson?" Tina finished. When Rachel nodded shook her head. "As in Kurt's brother? As in the man who used to date your stepsister?"

Rachel sighed. She supposed that Kurt must have told that story. He loved to tell it every now and then, just because it was such a dramatic tale. "Well… yes."

"At least now I know why you want to keep it a secret. That's certainly a twisted little web you managed to land yourself in."

"I know," Rachel said quietly.

Tina studied her friend for a long moment before her face relaxed into a smile. "But you do look really happy, Rachel. There's a definite difference. I don't think I've ever seen you like this."

"Really?"

"Really. When I say Finn's name, your whole face just kind of brightens. It's obvious that he makes you so happy. And if he does, I'm sure the rest of your family and friends will understand."

Reassured by her words, Rachel gave Tina a hug. Their friends and family might be shocked at first, but hopefully they would realize how happy Finn and Rachel made each other and would support them. Rachel could only hope.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think!**


	6. just one touch

**Author's Note: You all are seriously so amazing. I can't thank you all enough for the support that this story has received! Here's the next chapter. :) This chapter title comes from "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

Santana looked down at the green dress she found herself wearing and then looked over at Rachel, who was wearing an identical dress. With her hands on her hips, she demanded, "Why did your sister want me in her wedding party again?"

Rachel shrugged her shoulders. "Aren't the two of you friends?"

Santana gave her an incredulous look. "Berry, I am _your_ best friend. And the only reason I'm doing this is for you. At least this dress isn't terribly hideous. I can work with this."

"As the maid of honor, I had some say in the dress picking. I wasn't going to make us wear something horrible." They were at the dress shop, waiting for the rest of Quinn's bridesmaids to arrive. Rachel was honestly nervous to meet them, as they were all Quinn's friends from Yale. It was probably why Quinn had asked Santana to be a bridesmaid. She wanted to give Rachel someone to talk to.

Santana lifted up the hem of the dress and studied her reflection. "I'm thinking I can fit a flask under here," she mused. "Sound good?"

Two blonde girls and a redhead entered the dress shop and headed towards them. Quinn appeared a few moments later, and hugs and squeals were exchanged. Santana and Rachel looked at each other, and the petite brunette nodded her head.

"That sounds like a fabulous idea, actually," Rachel muttered. She put a smile on her face as Quinn and her friends approached.

"Girls, I'd like to introduce you to the other bridesmaids." Quinn pointed to the redhead first. "This is Gwen Mitchell." Pointing to the other two girls, she continued, "And this is Aubrey Phillips and Tiffany Moore. Girls, this is my sister, Rachel, and my other bridesmaid, Santana."

Tiffany tilted her head at Rachel. "She doesn't look anything like you, Q," she said.

Santana and Rachel exchanged a look before the later said, "Quinn is actually my stepsister."

"Oh." Tiffany nodded her head and smiled while Aubrey wrinkled her nose.

"So the dresses are green?"

"They are!" Quinn said as she went to stand next to Rachel. "Aren't they lovely? Rachel and I picked them out a few days ago."

The three other girls shared a look. "They're pretty enough," Gwen said conversationally. "But they don't look like something that you'd normally pick."

"Really?" Quinn turned back to look at the dresses. Santana shook her head and stepped forward.

"These were the dresses that were picked," she said. "They've already been ordered, and it's time for the final fitting. So there's no time to pick new dresses. And I happen to think these dresses are pretty hot, anyway."

Gwen smiled. "Oh, of course." There was a sickly sweet quality to her voice that let Santana and Rachel know that she wasn't really being sincere. Rachel barely held back an eye roll as she squeezed Santana's hand in thanks.

Quinn nodded her head. "Let's go get the dresses tried on and then we can go out for lunch!"

Rachel and Santana went back into their dressing rooms after the other three bridesmaids came out in their dresses. Just as they walked in, Santana opened her mouth to speak and Rachel held her hands up.

"Santana, don't," she said immediately.

The Latina scowled at her best friend. "I don't like them, Berry."

"They're Quinn's friends and bridesmaids."

"Please. You can't mean to tell me that you actually like them, do you?"

"Well…" Rachel sighed. "No. I guess not. But we have to be civil!" she added before Santana could say anything else. "They're part of this wedding, too."

"Fine." Santana put her dress back in the garment bag and zipped it up. "I'll be nice. But like I said before, Berry: I'm only doing this for you."

Rachel smiled sweetly at her best friend. "I love you, Santana!"

"Yeah yeah," Santana grumbled. But she was smiling, too.

* * *

The girls were just settling into their table at a little outdoor café when Quinn caught sight of her fiancé. She waved and called him over, giving him a kiss when he was close enough. It was only then that she and the rest of the girls noticed that Finn was with him.

"Oh." Quinn gave Finn a small smile as Rachel's heart rate jumped up. This wasn't actually happening right now, was it? Rachel really hoped that she wasn't blushing as Quinn continued to speak. "Finn. It's, uh… It's nice to see you again."

Finn gave Quinn a polite smile that held no animosity. "It's good to see you too, Quinn. How are you?"

"I'm good." Quinn looked at Puck, who smiled and nodded his head, reaching over to squeeze her hand. Everything was fine. With that encouragement, Quinn turned towards Rachel. "And you remember my sister, Rachel?"

"I do." Finn's eyes darkened as they connected with Rachel's, and she fought hard to keep the wide smile off her lips. "It's nice to see you again, Rachel."

That's right. As far as everyone knew, Finn and Rachel hadn't seen each other in three years. "And you, Finn," she said in response. When no one was looking, Finn tossed her a wink and Rachel bit her lip to hide her smile.

"Why don't you two pull up a chair and join us?" Quinn asked.

"Yes," Gwen said as she kept her eyes trained on Finn. "Why don't you join us?"

Rachel didn't miss the way that Gwen was looking at Finn as if he were a piece of meat. She wanted nothing more than to reach over and claw the other girl's eyes out, but she kept a hold of her emotions. Santana, knowing that something was up with her best friend, tugged a chair between her own and Rachel's.

"Why don't you sit here, Finnegan?" Santana suggested. "We can catch up." She knew that Rachel had had a crush on Finn, and she could see that something was still there between them. She didn't know what was going on between Finn and Rachel, but there was definitely more to this situation than meets the eye.

Finn took his seat between Santana and Rachel and Puck sat between Quinn and Tiffany. Quinn immediately struck up a conversation about the rehearsal dinner. Rachel propped her chin in her hand and tilted her head just enough so she could see Finn. She saw that adorable half smile form on his lips as he noticed her looking at him.

"It's been a while since we've seen you, Finn," Aubrey said. "What have you been up to?" Aubrey, Gwen, and Tiffany all knew Finn from when he had dated Quinn. The four girls had been roommates, so they knew when Finn had been in and out.

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "I've been busy with work." He glanced quickly at Rachel before he added, "Nothing too exciting has been going on." His hand slid over her knee under the table, and he gave her a slight squeeze to let her know that it wasn't true at all. Rachel hid her smile behind her napkin.

"You're a firefighter, right?" Gwen asked. When Finn nodded his head, she continued in a sickly sweet voice, "Wow. That must be such a demanding job. You're so brave and strong, Finn."

Rachel's eyes narrowed as she stabbed at a piece of lettuce on her plate. She thought that Finn was brave and strong, and she was so amazed at his job. Not to mention she was incredibly proud of him. But the way that Gwen was saying it made the statement sound very trite. She didn't like this girl at all, and she had only met her an hour ago.

Finn could feel how tense Rachel was getting. And he definitely knew why, since Gwen wasn't making it any secret that she was trying to flirt with him. Finn squeezed Rachel's knee again before sliding his hand slightly up, slipping his fingers under the hem of her skirt. His thumb rubbed soothing circles on her skin, and he felt her relax slightly. Her foot rubbed against his under the table, and he took it as her way of saying thank you.

Finn shrugged his shoulders as he responded to Gwen. "I like my job," he said evenly.

"So it's been a long time since you've seen Quinn, right?" Tiffany asked. "This must be a little bit awkward."

Finn blinked at her. "Uh…"

"Well, it wasn't awkward until you mentioned it," Puck said under his breath.

Finn rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. "It's fine," he said.

"And you totally forgive Puck and Quinn for everything that they did?" Tiffany pressed on without any shame.

"Yes," Finn said without hesitation. Rachel smiled at him and Finn smiled in return. She could hear Quinn breathe a sigh of relief and then Puck kissed his fiancée's cheek and squeezed her hand.

"Tiffany, we should probably pick a different topic of discussion," Quinn said after a moment. A café with all of her bridesmaids was definitely not where she planned on having that conversation.

Santana rolled her eyes. "Why did she even pick these girls to be her bridesmaids?" she muttered under her breath.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and couldn't help but wonder the same thing. While Quinn could have a mean streak in her at times, but she certainly wasn't blatantly malicious like these girls were. Quinn wasn't a mean person, and Rachel didn't know how she fell in with these girls, let alone picked them as bridesmaids.

Eventually, they started talking about their time at Yale together. Rachel listened quietly while Santana took her phone out and began scrolling through it, keeping it out of view and under the table. Rachel twirled her fork through her salad when she suddenly became aware of Finn's fingers circling on her skin again.

She glanced over at him, but he was talking to Puck. His warm palm slid higher on her thigh, and Rachel's cheeks flushed. She shifted in her chair a little bit and crossed her ankles, trying to ignore the way Finn's calloused fingers felt against her thigh. Rachel nudged Finn's foot with her own, this time as a way to tell him to stop. She was going to melt into a little puddle right there in the middle of lunch if he kept touching her like that.

Finn's fingers paused for a moment, and Rachel turned to talk to Santana. But she almost choked on her words when Finn's fingers went even higher, sliding across the top her thigh. She coughed a little and covered it up by taking a sip of her water. Looking at Finn, she could see the little smirk quirking his lips. Well, fine. If he wanted to play that game, she could, too.

Rachel settled back in her chair and took another bite of her salad. She dropped her free hand below the table and slid it over his knee. Her hand stroked up his thigh, and Finn's words choked off suddenly. Rachel schooled her features and stopped herself from laughing. She kept her fingers stroking higher and higher, until suddenly Finn jerked his chair back and stood up.

Everyone turned to look at him. The tips of Finn's ears turned red. "Dude," Puck said. "Are you okay?"

"I, uh… I have to go to the bathroom," Finn mumbled. "Be right back."

Rachel took another bite of her salad and bit back her smirk. She could feel Santana looking at her, and she turned to look at her friend. The Latina simply shook her head and gave Rachel an amused look. She decided not to read too much into it, since there was no way that Santana could have seen what was going on beneath the table.

Rachel waited a few moments before she quietly excused herself from the table. She made her way into the little café and found the bathroom. The building was so small that it only had a single bathroom, shared between women and men. Rachel knocked on the door.

"Finn?" she asked as she tried to keep the smile out of her voice. She was speaking sweetly, and she was doing it just to tease Finn. "It's me. Are you alright?"

The door swung open and Finn wrapped his strong, warm fingers around her wrist and tugged her in before she could react. Rachel let out a surprised squeal but it was cut off when Finn sealed his mouth over hers.

Rachel immediately slid her arms around Finn's neck as he pressed her up against the bathroom door. She stood on her tiptoes, straining to press closer to him as his tongue swept into her mouth and she pressed hers back against his. Finn ran his hands down Rachel's sides and to her thighs where he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him.

"Finn," Rachel gasped when he reattached his lips to her neck.

He nibbled on her pulse point. "You are evil," he mumbled against her skin. "When you had your hand on my leg…"

Rachel tilted her head back to allow Finn more access. "You started it first," she breathed out.

"I did, didn't I?" He tore his lips from her neck and kissed her again.

"You don't sound very apologetic." And Rachel certainly wasn't, either. This was fun. This was actually kind of perfect. This was _Finn_. He made her feel things that she had never felt before. And God, she just couldn't stop kissing him. Or touching him. Or being near him…

Finn pulled back just enough so that she could see his smirk. "Nope," he said. He kissed her again, squeezing her thighs. Rachel moaned a little and threaded her fingers through his hair, allowing him to kiss her for a few blissful moments before she pulled back.

"We need to get back," she told him. "They'll start wondering where we are."

Finn sighed and lowered Rachel back to her feet. He pulled her close and ran his fingers through her hair. "I guess so," he relented. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll go out first. You wait a few minutes."

"Alright." Unable to resist, Rachel pulled Finn close for another quick kiss. "I'll see you out there."

Finn smiled at Rachel before he left the bathroom. She leaned against the door and took a moment to collect herself. Jeeze, she couldn't even sit next to Finn without wanting to jump him. And he obviously felt the same way.

Rachel went to check her reflection in the mirror. She fixed her mused hair before she noticed the dark mark forming on her neck. Rachel groaned but couldn't keep the smile from crossing her lips. It appeared that Finn had left yet another hickey. And she couldn't really be mad at him, because she definitely planned on getting him back. And he didn't have long hair, so he couldn't hide it like she could.

Rachel made sure that her hair was covering her new hickey before she left the bathroom. She returned to the table and took her seat again. She easily joined the conversation they were having, and when Finn slid his hand over her knee again, she smiled.

* * *

**Author's Note: So they've started sneaking around, and they're having some fun doing it. Thanks for reading!**


	7. i am going to stay right here

**Author's Note: As always, thank you so much for the amazing reviews! I'm sorry I didn't update sooner today. I was off baking for a Christmas party this weekend. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter! The flashback is in italics. It takes place during Rachel's freshman year at NYADA, so it's before Quinn got pregnant. This chapter title comes from "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

_Rachel barely bit back a frustrated scream as she opened the front door and slammed it shut behind her. She could feel the tears burning in her eyes as she stalked her way through the living room. She was on her way to the stairs when she heard her sister call out, "Rachel? Are you okay?"_

_ Rachel froze and groaned under her breath. She forgot that Quinn was over with Finn today. He was meeting her mother and Russell for the first time (they missed each other when they had moved Rachel in), and he was having dinner over. They were currently home for winter break._

_ She stopped and turned to face the four occupants of the living room. They were sitting and having coffee, and they were all looking at her with concerned eyes—even Finn. Rachel plastered a fake smile onto her face and tried to keep the tears at bay._

_ "Oh, I'm alright," she said in as cheerful a voice as she could muster._

_ Quinn, of course, knew differently. Giving Rachel a sympathetic look, she asked, "Is it Brody? Did you get into a fight with him?"_

_ Rachel bit her lip. She had started to date Brody shortly after the school year began. He was a charming upperclassman that was quick to make his desire for Rachel known. And now she knew that that was all he wanted from her, anyway._

_ She gave them a small smile that was really more of a grimace. "We broke up," she said quietly._

_ "Oh, Rachel," Quinn said. "I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?"_

_ Rachel shook her head. "Not really. I'm just going to go upstairs. You all enjoy the rest of your night."_

_ She climbed the stairs and quickly went into her room, shutting the door behind her. She changed into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top, and she put in an old Barbra Streisand movie. She would have been really clichéd and gone to get some ice cream, but that would require going downstairs and facing people. That was something that she didn't really want to do._

_ Rachel had fifteen blissful minutes to herself before she heard a knock on the door. She burrowed herself further into the bed. "Quinn, I'm really not in the mood to talk." She didn't want to talk to her sister that was in a perfect relationship with the guy that Rachel still had a bit of a crush on. And yes, Rachel was aware of how pathetic that seemed._

_ "It's not Quinn."_

_ Rachel was surprised at the deep, familiar voice on the other side of the door. She stared at it for a long moment before she got up and opened the door._

_ "Hey." Finn gave her that half smile. "Do you mind if I come in?"_

_ "But what about the dinner downstairs?" Rachel asked._

_ Finn shrugged his shoulders. "Your mom and Quinn are busy in the kitchen and Russell went to take a call. They won't notice that I'm gone."_

_ "Oh." Against Rachel's better judgment, she stepped aside and allowed Finn to come into the room. She shut the door behind him and then went back to sit on her bed. Finn looked around the room with a small smile on his face._

_ "So," Finn finally said. "Kurt told me about Brody. He mentioned what he was like."_

_ Rachel rolled her eyes. "I just… I don't really…"_

_ Finn sat next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"_

_ Rachel opened her mouth. But instead of saying no, she found herself spilling the whole sordid tale to Finn. There was just something about the way he was looking at her—his eyes were so genuine and full of concern for her. She couldn't resist talking to him._

_ "Brody was so charming," Rachel finally said. "He didn't make it any secret that he wanted me, and it was nice to feel that way. But the more our relationship progressed, the more I realized that he just wanted me for my body. He was sleeping around with other freshman girls behind my back. He played us all, and this isn't the first time it had happened. According to another girl in my dance class, he's been doing this since he first got to NYADA."_

_ "Oh, Rachel," Finn said. "I'm sorry. You don't deserve to be treated like that. You're so much better than that asshole."_

_ Rachel looked down at her hands. She felt horrible and used. It had been nice to feel wanted in that way, but it felt even worse to know that she had only been wanted for sex. "I was the flavor of the month," she said quietly._

_ "Hey." Finn caught her gaze and held it. "He's a dick. And you shouldn't have to worry about someone like that. He'll get what's coming to him one day, and you'll just get to stand there and laugh. You're better than him," he repeated. "And you deserve better than that."_

_ Rachel nodded her head and bit her lip again. Even though she knew that, she still felt completely horrible for the way Brody had treated her. And it really bothered her to know that he had not only done this to other girls in the past, but he was doing it now and would continue to do it._

_ Rachel was surprised when Finn wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. She sank into his comforting embrace and fisted his shirt in her hands. Taking a deep breath, she let herself get lost in the feel of Finn's arms. She would worry about how guilty she should feel for liking it later._

_ "I could kick his ass if you want me too," Finn offered after several long moments._

_ A giggle slipped passed Rachel's lips. "That sounds like a really good idea, but we should probably hold off on it for now."_

_ "Whatever you say, Rachel," Finn said. He tightened his arms around her for a brief moment before he let go. "I should probably head back down now."_

_ Rachel nodded her head and crawled back under her covers. When Finn was at the door, Rachel called out, "Finn?" He turned around to face her, and Rachel gave him a true smile. "Thank you."_

_ Finn smiled at her in return. "Anytime, Rach."_

* * *

"Do you remember when I broke up with Brody?"

Finn looked down at where Rachel was curled against his chest. It was after their dinner date on Thursday night, and they were back at his apartment, just curled up on the couch and talking. "Yes," he said darkly. "I hate him."

"You've never even met him," Rachel said with a laugh. "And you don't have anything to worry about, Finn."

"Still," Finn grumbled. "He's a dick. You should have let me beat him up."

"Well, I was actually wondering…"

"If I could still beat him up? Of course I will. Just say the word, Rach, and I'll kick his ass and make it look like an accident."

"Finn!" Rachel pushed at his shoulder playfully. "Be serious!"

Finn grinned at her. "Alright, alright. What were you wondering?"

Rachel sat up a little bit so that she could see Finn's face. "I was wondering why you had bothered to come upstairs and check on me. I mean, I was nothing but your girlfriend's little sister."

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "Kurt had told me all about Brody, so I knew how much of a dick he was. You really looked like you needed someone to talk to, so I just wanted to check on you. And, honestly… I hated seeing you that upset. I had to go and see if you were okay."

Rachel smiled and shifted further up. She curled hers fingers into his shirt and pressed her lips against his in a sweet kiss. He was kind and in tune to people's emotions. But she felt so touched and special that Finn wanted to make sure that she was okay.

"I probably should have figured it out then," Finn admitted. "That I had a thing for you, I mean. But I was oblivious to it for a long time."

"When did you finally realize it?"

"Not long after I broke up with Quinn," Finn answered. "I was just leaving your apartment after I visited Kurt, and I saw you. When I did, I just… knew. It hit me all of the sudden, and I wondered why I had never realized it before."

Rachel couldn't help the next question that escaped her. "Why didn't you do anything then? When you realized it, I mean?"

Finn rubbed the back of his neck. "I was still messed up after what happened with Quinn and Puck. I was confused and hurt, and I knew that I wouldn't have been good for you then. You deserved more than that. And then time passed and I didn't see you anymore… until that day at the supermarket, that is."

Rachel's cheeks flushed a little bit. "Even when I was dating Brody, I still had a crush on you. I tried to pretend that I didn't, and I guess that I ended up dating him as a way to try and get over you. It didn't really work." She smiled at Finn before she continued. "It's probably a good thing I didn't see you very often during that time, otherwise I would have been very obvious about it."

"Really?" Finn smirked and pulled her closer. "You had a crush on me for that long?"

Rachel nudged him again. "You knew that."

"I still like to hear it from time to time." Finn pressed a kiss to Rachel's forehead before he tilted her chin up and kissed her. Rachel sighed into his mouth and wrapped her arms around his neck. His fingers tangled in her hair as he deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping past her lips.

Rachel shifted closer to him, nearly climbing into his lap in her effort to do so. Finn gently pulled his hands from her hair and stroked them down her sides, stopping to rest them on her hips.

Thinking that this was the perfect moment to get revenge for her numerous hickies, Rachel began to kiss down Finn's jawline. She stopped at the place where his jaw met his neck and gently bit down, sucking lightly. Finn groaned and slipped his hands under her shirt, his calloused thumbs stroking against her soft skin.

Rachel gasped against his neck but didn't let his actions deter her. She continued lightly sucking on the spot until she was satisfied and then kissed back up to his mouth. He could feel her smiling against his lips as she kissed him again.

"Good luck hiding that one," she told him.

Finn smirked before his hands slid up higher, his fingers brushing the underside of her bra. "Worth it," he muttered before he kissed her again. Rachel shifted a little, trying to get his hands to go higher, when, suddenly—

—a phone rang.

Both Finn and Rachel groaned. She slid off his lap but cuddled into his side as Finn dug his phone out of his pocket. When he saw who was calling, he smiled and answered it. As he spoke, he wrapped an arm around Rachel.

"Hey, Mom," Finn greeted. "How are you?"

Rachel smiled. Finn had such a close relationship with his mom, and she thought it was the sweetest thing ever.

"Yeah Mom, I'm fine," Finn said. He looked down at Rachel and couldn't keep his smile from forming into a grin. "Actually, I'm great."

Finn and his mother chatted on the phone as Rachel closed her eyes and draped her arm across his abdomen. His fingers stroked up and down her arm and shoulder, and his gentle movements helped Rachel drift into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Warm lips trailing from her temple to her mouth woke Rachel up. She opened her eyes to find Finn gazing down at her with that half smile on his lips. She grinned at him in return before he kissed her, sliding his fingers into her hair.

When they broke apart, Rachel stretched and let out a little noise of appreciation. "How long was I out?"

"Only a couple of hours," Finn answered as he played with the ends of her hair. Rachel rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping both of her arms around his. She sighed happily before she caught sight of the clock.

"Oh my God, it's almost midnight!" she exclaimed. When Finn nodded his head, Rachel jumped up and began to frantically search for her jacket. Finn found it and held it out, helping her to slip it on.

"Kurt and Santana are going to be wondering where I am," Rachel mumbled to herself as she pulled her phone out. She had turned it on silent at the beginning of her date with Finn. Sure enough, she had several text messages and missed calls from both Kurt and Santana. She even had a text from Tina, asking how her date went. Rachel smiled and sent off a quick answer to her friend before she decided to use Tina as her excuse for the night. She texted Kurt and Santana as well, telling them that she had been hanging out with Tina and she was on her way home.

"Alright," Rachel said with a relieved breath. "I think I've got it covered." She tucked her phone back into her purse before she looked up and noticed Finn's jaw tightening. "Finn? Is everything okay?"

He didn't answer for a moment and instead took a deep breath. "Nothing," Finn finally said. "I'm fine."

"Finn…" Rachel took his hand. "Please tell me what's wrong."

"I just…" Finn sighed and dragged his free hand through his hair. "I wish we didn't have to sneak around."

Rachel's heart dropped. She had been so concerned over how Quinn would react to her and Finn's relationship if she ever found out, she hadn't really taken Finn's feelings into account. Now she felt horrible and guilty and overwhelmed and tears suddenly began to burn in her eyes.

Finn noticed the change immediately. "Hey," he said gently. Taking both her hands, he pulled her back towards the couch and sat down. Putting two fingers under her chin, he tilted her face up until she was looking at him. "Talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."

Rachel sniffled and tried to keep her tears at bay. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "When I said that I wanted to keep this quiet for a little, I didn't think about how you would feel. I was just thinking about how Quinn would react, and I'm so, so sorry. And I didn't want to mess your friendship up with them, but I didn't ask if you agreed with me."

Finn wrapped his arms around Rachel and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her temple. He hated to see her this upset. Despite the fact that he didn't want to hide their relationship, Finn did understand Rachel's reasoning for it.

"Rach, I get it," Finn said as he rubbed his hand comfortingly over her back. "I just wish…" He trailed off, not wanting to upset her any further.

"I'm sorry, Finn," Rachel repeated. Suddenly, her eyes brightened and she sat up. Finn blinked in shock at her sudden change in moods. "Finn, what if we tell them after the wedding? It's only two months away!"

Finn did feel better knowing that there was a definite time when they would reveal their relationship to their friends and family. And it would be nice to have some time to themselves and allow their relationship to grow. Finn took Rachel's hand and lifted it to his lips, pressing a kiss to her palm.

"That sounds like it could work," Finn told her. He smoothed her hair back. "Listen, I don't want you to worry about this."

"I won't worry about it if you promise to tell me how you feel."

Finn smiled and kissed her softly. "Well, I really, really like you, Rachel Berry." Repeating her words from earlier, he said, "I've had a crush on you for a long time."

Rachel beamed at him and snuggled closer in his arms. "That's sweet. But you know what I mean."

"I do. And I promise I will," Finn told her. "Oh, and I almost forgot to mention. Puck and Quinn invited me to the wedding."

"They did?" When Finn nodded his head, Rachel smiled. "That's wonderful!"

"I'm glad things aren't weird between us anymore," Finn said. Rachel stood up again and grabbed her purse, leaning over to press a kiss to Finn's lips before she left. Finn caught her wrist and stood up, grabbing his jacket as well. "Let me walk you home."

Rachel knew that it would be useless to argue with Finn. And she thought it was very sweet and wonderful that he insisted on walking her home. "Thank you, Finn."

He pulled her close to kiss her again. "Always, Rachel."

* * *

**Author's Note: So this was some background into the interactions between Finn and Rachel before they started dating. There will be a few more scenes like that, too. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you thought!**


	8. and all you did was smile

**Author's Note: Since my Christmas festivities are over, I thought that I would update! As always, thank you for the amazing reviews. They seriously mean so much. Please enjoy! The title for this chapter comes from "We Own the Night" by Lady Antebellum.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

"Alright. What's been up with you?"

Finn looked up in alarm as Kurt slammed a cup of coffee down on his desk. Normally, Kurt didn't visit Finn at the firehouse because he insisted that the polo shirts that they wore just weren't up to his standards. So he was honestly surprised to see his younger brother standing in front of him.

"What?" Finn finally managed.

"You've been avoiding me for the past two weeks, Finn. What's up?"

"I haven't been avoiding you," Finn said immediately. Shit. The truth was, Finn had kind of been avoiding Kurt lately. They always spoke on the phone at least once a week, just in case they didn't see each other. Finn had purposefully avoided his last phone call with Kurt—mostly because he had been making out with Rachel. He wouldn't have been in the best frame of mind to have a conversation with his brother at that point.

Kurt rolled his eyes. Really, Finn was kind of a bad liar. "Yes, you have," he stated. "I'm not stupid, Finn. What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on," Finn stated firmly. He looked Kurt directly in the eye as he said this, knowing that it would at least throw his brother off a little bit. Kurt stared at him for a long moment before he finally nodded his head.

"Fine," he said. "We haven't spent a lot of time together recently. Let's go grab some lunch. I found a place that serves a greasy burger for you and a nice, healthy salad for me."

Finn checked the time before he stood up and grabbed his jacket. It was just about his lunch break, and he definitely owed Kurt anyway. It was true. They hadn't spent a lot of time together recently—mostly because Finn knew that Kurt would question his utter happiness, and that would lead to questions about Rachel. But Finn needed to be better about this. He couldn't avoid people just because he was afraid that he couldn't keep his mouth shut about Rachel.

"That sounds great, Kurt," Finn said. They walked a few blocks to the restaurant that Kurt had picked for them. They ordered their food and it was delivered to their table before they finally started talking.

"We need to get you back on the dating scene, Finn," Kurt stated.

Finn choked on the sip of his soda. He coughed to recover and pounded on his chest. "What?" he finally managed.

"How long has it been since you've dated someone?" Kurt asked. "And I don't mean one date accompanied by a one night stand. Frankly, I don't want to know about those. I mean an actual relationship."

Finn shook his head. "Kurt, it's fine. I don't mind it right now. I'm pretty happy with things at the moment." And he was. He was with Rachel. Sure, they were hiding their relationship, but he just felt lucky that he had a chance to be with Rachel at all. There was a point in time when he wasn't sure if he would ever see her again, let alone get a chance to be with her.

Kurt studied him for a long moment before he said, "I think I get it."

"What? You do?"

"You've recently started talking to Puck and Quinn again, correct?" When Finn nodded his head, Kurt continued. "You feel odd because they're so happy and they're going to get married in a few months."

"Uh… yeah." Finn wasn't really sure where that particular conclusion had come from, but he would go with it if it would keep Kurt distracted. "Yeah, that's it."

"Finn." Kurt gave his brother a sympathetic look. "You shouldn't feel bad because Quinn and Puck were the ones who screwed you over. You shouldn't feel weird about it. You deserve to be happy too, you know?"

"I know," Finn said. Going with Kurt's theory, he added, "Just give me some time. It shouldn't be long before I start dating again." Besides telling Kurt that he truly was happy, that was the other statement that held the most truth.

"I just want to make sure that you're happy, Finn. I think it really speaks to your character that you're able to look past everything Puck and Quinn did to you and are still able to be friends with them."

Finn smiled at his younger brother. "Thanks, Kurt," he said. "And don't worry. I am happy."

* * *

Rachel waited until Quinn opened the door to her apartment. Beth was perched happily on her hip, and she squealed when she saw her aunt. Clapping her hands together, she beamed at Rachel.

"Aunt Ray!" the little girl exclaimed.

"Hey, Bethie!" Rachel took the toddler from Quinn and hugged her tightly. "How are you!"

"I got movies," Beth told Rachel. "Barbie!"

Quinn pulled on her jacket and checked her hair in the mirror. She was going on a date with Puck and the couple wouldn't be back until late that night. It was a very last minute date, so Quinn had called Rachel only half an hour ago.

"She's been excited for you to come over, Rachel," Quinn said. "She's wanted to watch those movies all day."

Before Rachel could say anything to her stepsister, there was a knock on the door. When Quinn opened it out, both she and Rachel let out noises of surprise when they saw who was standing on the other side.

It was Finn.

"Finn!" both Rachel and Quinn exclaimed at the same time. Finn looked just as surprised to find Rachel standing there, holding Beth. It took him a moment to recover, but when he did, he smiled.

"Hey, Quinn, Rachel," he greeted. "Puck called me about twenty minutes ago and said that you needed a babysitter for Beth."

Quinn looked between Finn and Rachel with her brow furrowed. It was then then that Puck walked into the room, pulling on his suit jacket.

"Oh, hey Finn," Puck said. "Thanks for coming—Berry. What the hell are you doing here?"

"Quinn asked me to babysit Beth," Rachel answered.

"Oh. Well, shit." Puck shrugged his shoulders. "I guess both you and Finn can watch Beth, then."

"Really?" Quinn, Rachel, and Finn all chorused at the same time.

Puck shrugged his shoulders once again. It was then that Rachel noticed the knowing look in his eye as he glanced between Finn and Rachel. But as soon as she noticed it, it was gone. She shook her head a little bit. It must have been her imagination.

He took Beth from Rachel. "I don't see why not. They're both here. Why not use both of them? Besides, Finn and Rachel made the trip all the way here. It would suck to make one of them just go back."

There was a long moment of silence before Finn said, "I don't mind staying and helping out."

"And Beth already has plans for us," Rachel added as she gave her little blonde niece a smile.

Finn's lips quirked into a half smile at their interactions. "What plans would that be?"

"Barbie movies!" Beth exclaimed brightly.

Finn laughed. "Will you show me which ones we're going to watch?"

Beth kicked her legs until Puck set her down. She reached up and wrapped her little hand around two of Finn's fingers and began to tug him into her bedroom. Finn went with her willingly, and Rachel couldn't keep the soft smile off her lips as she watched them. Finn could have decided to go home, but he had chosen to stay with them. He was acting like watching a Barbie movie with a two year old was the highlight of his night.

As soon as Finn and Beth were out of sight, Quinn turned to her sister. "Are you sure that you're okay with this, Rachel? I'll understand if you're not."

Rachel shook her head. "I'm perfectly okay with it," she said. "Honestly. Like you said, Beth is excited to watch the movie with me. And she seems very taken with Finn, so there really is no use having either of us go home now. You two just go out and enjoy your night."

Quinn opened her mouth again, but Puck grabbed her hand and pulled her out the door. "We might be back later than midnight, so we'll call to let you know," Puck said. "You two have fun, now!"

He shut the door behind them, and Rachel took a moment to marvel over the fact that she was going to spend the night in Puck and Quinn's apartment, babysitting their daughter with Finn. She didn't think she was ever going to get over just how odd her life was sometimes.

She certainly didn't have any problems with it, however. Rachel had just got a free pass to spend some quality time with Finn, and they didn't have to sneak around to do it. With that thought in mind, Rachel made her way down the hallway and towards Beth's room, where she could hear her excited chatter.

"And then we're going to watch the one where Barbie is Cinderella," Beth explained as Rachel stepped into the room. "And after that, we can watch the one where Barbie is a snowboarder. That one is my favorite!"

"I like snowboarding," Finn told Beth. "So I think I'll like that movie, too."

Beth grinned at him before she caught sight of Rachel. "Aunt Ray! Look, I have the movies! And I'm wearing the sweater you bought for me!"

Beth did look very cute in the oversized pink sweater with the white unicorn on it that Rachel had gotten her for her last birthday. She showed it to Rachel and Finn proudly as she gathered up the DVDs that they were going to watch.

"I love it, Beth," Finn said with a chuckle.

"You look very pretty," Rachel added. "Why don't you take the movies out into the living room and set everything up?"

"Can we have popcorn, too?" Beth asked.

"Finn and I will get it," Rachel said. Beth grinned at them before she ran out of the room. Finn and Rachel made their way into the kitchen, and Rachel searched through the cupboard until she found a bag of popcorn. She got a bowl out of the cabinet and was very aware of Finn's eyes on her.

"What are you looking at?" Rachel asked playfully as she turned to face him.

There was a small smile playing on Finn's lips as he watched her. Suddenly, he asked, "Do you still have your animal sweaters?"

Rachel's brow furrowed as she gave him a confused look. "My what?"

"Your animal sweaters. Do you still have them?"

Not long after her freshman year at NYADA had started, Kurt had taken it upon himself to give Rachel a makeover. She wore the sleek clothes that Kurt had picked out for her for a few months before she started to make it her own. Now, she had a sweet, fashionable style that wasn't hardcore New York, but it wasn't a "sad mix between a toddler and a grandma" (as both Kurt and Santana had put it). Rachel had made the style her own and now felt more comfortable.

"Why do you ask?" Rachel finally said.

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "I remember the first day I met you. I was serious when I said that I thought your animal sweater was cute." They both smiled at the memory of that day before Finn continued speaking. "I was just curious. That's all."

"I do have a few of them still," Rachel revealed after a moment. "I kept some, despite Kurt's efforts to throw them out. I still wear them around the apartment." She knew that there was a time when she had to outgrow the animal sweaters and knee socks, but that didn't mean she had to forget about them or throw them away completely. She still harbored a secret love for them.

Finn grinned at her and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. He dropped a kiss to Rachel's forehead. "I'm glad you still have them. They're very… you. Very Rachel Berry."

Rachel stretched up onto her tiptoes to press her lips to Finn's. He was too sweet, and she loved that about him. He smiled against her mouth as he ran his fingers through her hair, and she deepened the kiss in response.

The microwave beeped, signaling that the popcorn was finished popping. Rachel and Finn broke apart and finished getting their snacks ready. Beth was perched in the middle of the couch, and her first movie choice—the Barbie movie with the snowboarding—was already queued up. Rachel and Finn settled on the sofa on either side of her, and she started the movie.

* * *

"No, it's perfectly alright, Noah," Rachel said into the phone. "Finn is putting Beth to bed now, and we'll both stay the night. We'll see you two in the morning."

Rachel hung up just as Finn came back into the living room. "Beth is sound asleep," he said. "Was that Quinn and Puck?"

Rachel nodded her head. "Apparently, Quinn had a little too much fun tonight. Noah got a hotel room so she could sleep it off."

Finn chuckled. "So I guess it's just you and me for the rest of the night." His eyes darkened and he pulled Rachel close, wrapping his arms around her waist and bending to press his lips to her neck.

"No. Absolutely not. We are not making out in Noah and Quinn's apartment." But even as Rachel spoke, she tilted her head back so Finn could have easier access. She could feel him smirk against her neck as he lifted her up, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist.

"If you say so," Finn said, though he didn't sound very convinced by Rachel's declaration. "But we can go into the guest bedroom and go to bed, right? I'll even set an alarm so we'll be awake before Puck and Quinn get back."

Rachel couldn't find it in herself to argue with Finn. She tightened her legs around him and threaded her fingers through his hair, tilting his head back so that she could kiss him properly. "That sounds perfect," she said.

Finn grinned and carried her to the guest bedroom. He stripped to his boxers and Rachel stripped to her tank top and underwear. They both climbed into the bed and Rachel snuggled into Finn's side as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Goodnight, Finn," Rachel whispered.

He kissed her forehead, smoothing his hand over her hair. "Goodnight, Rachel," Finn whispered in return. They both closed their eyes and drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you thought. :) Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!**


	9. my vacation away from this place

**Author's Note: You guys are amazing! Anyway, I've had a few requests for smut. Don't worry, it's coming very soon. As always, thanks for reading! This chapter title comes from the "Chariot" by Gavin DeGraw.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Rachel groaned as an obnoxious beeping noise reached her ears. She snuggled further into the bed, pressing her cheek against her warm but somewhat hard pillow. Rachel didn't mind, though. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she was vaguely aware of the fact that she had not had a more peaceful sleep in a long time.

Her pillow shifted under her, and Rachel gripped it tighter. She became aware of a pair of arms wrapped around her as they tightened. Rachel suddenly remembered everything that happened the night before, and she opened her eyes.

She discovered that Finn was already awake as he looked down at her. "Morning, beautiful," he greeted. He reached over and turned the alarm on his phone off, and the room was quiet once again.

Rachel smiled and stretched against him. "Good morning." When Finn leaned forward, his lips searching for hers, Rachel put a hand up to stop him, and his lips came in contact with her palm. A giggle escaped her lips when he pouted at her. "Morning breath," Rachel reminded him.

Finn smirked at her and tightened his arms around her once again. "What if I said that I didn't care?" He pressed another kiss to her palm, and Rachel giggled.

"Then I'd say that I'm still going to brush my teeth anyway." Rachel reached up to kiss his cheek before she slipped out of the bed and went into the connecting bathroom. Right around the time she was finished brushing her teeth, Finn came in. His boxers hung low on his hips and his hair was sticking up in a million directions. The scruff that had been on his face the day before was more prominent now, as well.

With the toothbrush hanging limply from her mouth, Rachel watched as Finn got a new one for himself and began to brush his own teeth. If he was aware of Rachel's eyes on him, he didn't show it. He finished brushing his teeth and rinsed his mouth out. Just as he was putting the toothbrush down, Rachel threw hers into the sink and put her hands on his chest, pushing him all the way back to the bed.

Finn was momentarily taken off guard by her surprising strength, but he certainly didn't mind it. His hands fell to her hips as she pushed him onto the mattress and straddled him. He caught sight of her wide smile and the dark look in her eyes before her lips came down over his. Rachel's fingers locked into his hair as her tongue pushed past his lips, and Finn eagerly returned her kiss.

After several long, blissful moments, Rachel pulled her lips from Finn's and kissed her way down his jaw. She removed her fingers from his hair and smoothed them down his bare chest instead. Finn hissed at the feel of her small, soft hands on his skin.

"I thought you said that we weren't going to make out here," Finn managed to mumble as his hands tightened on her hips.

Rachel sucked on the spot where his jaw met his neck. "Did I say that?"

"I definitely remember you saying that." Finn slipped his hands under her tank top and pulled her closer.

"I lied, then." She rolled her hips back into his, and they both moaned. At Puck and Quinn's apartment while they were still babysitting Beth obviously wasn't the appropriate time to consummate their relationship. But there was no hiding how hard Finn was—not with the way Rachel was straddling him. And Rachel herself couldn't hide her own arousal, since Finn could feel it through the thin material of her panties.

And that didn't mean that they could have a little bit of sneaky fun for the time being. Finn brought his hands up and slowly cupped her breasts. Rachel threw her head back and arched into his hands. Finn gently thrust his hips into Rachel's a few times, smirking when he heard the quiet moan she let out. She reached down and kissed him again just as her cellphone rang.

Rachel seriously thought about ignoring it. But they were already treading on dangerous ground as it was, and she didn't think that she should push their luck. Finn pouted as she pulled away, and she just smiled and patted his chest as she reached for her phone.

It was a good thing that she had decided to answer it, since it was Quinn calling. Rachel took a moment to settle her breathing before she answered. "Hello, sister dear. How are you feeling?"

Quinn groaned. "Apparently, I had quite a bit of fun last night."

Rachel laughed. It took her a moment realize that she was still straddling Finn, but she didn't make to move. She liked her current position, and Finn was clearly enjoying it as well. His large hands were settled on her thighs as he stared up at her with dark eyes, and she smiled down at him.

"I know," Rachel said to her sister. "Noah told me all about it."

"He's never going to let me live it down. But I just wanted to call to let you know that we should be home in about an hour or so."

Finn's calloused thumbs were now rubbing circles on her thighs. Rachel swallowed hard and took a moment to make sure that her voice would sound normal before speaking. "Alright," she said a little faster than she wanted to. "We'll be here."

Instead of hanging up, Quinn asked, "How were things with Finn? Everything turned out okay, right?"

"Everything is fine," Rachel said. She shifted in an attempt to stop Finn from moving his hands higher, but it only caused his hardness to brush against her. She bit back a moan and Finn hissed, his hands tightening on her thighs. "It all worked out. You and Noah just focus on enjoying your last hour alone together."

"We'll see you soon, Rachel," Quinn said. She sounded relieved that things had worked out the night before. "And thanks again. I know that you don't know Finn very well, but I appreciate you staying to babysit Beth with him."

Finn now had one hand on Rachel's thigh and one under her shirt. She tried to level him with a glare, but the heated look in her eyes betrayed her. "Of course, Quinn. It was no problem. I'll see you soon!" She barely managed to wait for Quinn to hang up before she tossed her phone aside and leaned over Finn, brushing her lips against his. In a mock-stern voice, she said, "You're terrible."

Finn smirked, bringing his hands around to rest on her bottom. "Am I?"

"No," Rachel breathed before she kissed him again. Finn sat up, allowing Rachel to wrap her legs around his waist as he supported her with his hands spread across her back. Their kisses were slow and deep for several long moments before he pulled away.

"How much time do we have?" he mumbled as he brought his lips down to her neck.

"About an hour," Rachel said on a pant. "And we have at least another half hour until Beth wakes up." As Finn's lips worked up and down Rachel's neck, she grasped his shoulders. "Finn Hudson, you better not leave another hickey on my neck, or so help me, I will…"

She trailed off and gasped and he nibbled lightly on a sensitive spot. He released the skin and kissed down to her collar bone. "Or you'll what?" he said against her skin. When Rachel did nothing but let out a quiet moan, Finn bit down on the spot he was currently kissing. When he pulled back, he smirked at the mark that was now there. "And now you can't wear anything with thin straps."

Rachel certainly wasn't angry, however. She just smiled and kissed him again.

* * *

"Aunt Ray, can my pancakes be in the shape of Mickey Mouse?"

Rachel smiled and smoothed her hand over Beth's hair as they sat at the little table in the kitchen. Finn was standing at the stove, making a stack of pancakes for them.

"You'll have to ask Finn," Rachel told the blonde girl.

"Finn?" Beth said with a sweet smile.

Finn chuckled and nodded his head. "I'll see what I can do, Beth."

Just then, the front door opened. Puck and Quinn came in, both of them still wearing the clothes they had worn the previous night. Rachel stifled a laugh at their disheveled appearance as Beth let out an excited squeal upon seeing her parents.

"Mommy, Daddy!" she called. "Finn is making me Mickey Mouse pancakes!"

Puck scooped the little girl up into his arms and pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I see, munchkin! And he better have some left over for me, because I'm starving. Mommy wouldn't let me stop for breakfast."

"Don't worry, man," Finn said. "I made plenty to go around."

"Did you say thank you to Finn?" Quinn said to her daughter.

Finn slid a plate with a pancake shaped like Mickey Mouse on it in front of Beth. She smiled up at him and clapped her hands excitedly. "Thanks, Finn!"

"Thank you again," Quinn said. "We really appreciate the two of you staying to watch Beth last night."

"I bet you had lots of fun last night," Puck mumbled into his plate of breakfast.

Finn and Rachel looked at each other before they looked at Puck. He wasn't looking at either of them; instead, he was playing with his daughter. It was almost like he hadn't spoken at all. Finn and Rachel shared another look before Rachel spoke.

"It really was no problem," she said to her sister. "We just watched a couple of movies last night and then went to bed. But we should probably be heading out. Santana and I were going out shopping right after lunch."

Hugs were exchanged and both Finn and Rachel said goodbye before they left. They both wanted to reach for the other's hand, but neither dared to make a move while they were still so close to Puck and Quinn's apartment. Once they were in the elevator, they both let out a sigh of relief.

"Was it just me, or was that kind of awkward?" Finn asked as he dragged his hands though his messy hair.

Rachel leaned her head against his shoulder. "It was just a little bit awkward," she agreed. But everything was fine. Neither Puck nor Quinn had suspected a thing.

Finn wrapped his arms around her, and they remained like that until the elevator got to the ground floor. As they stepped out, Finn took her hand and linked their fingers together. Rachel smiled and squeezed his hand, and Finn brought hers up and kissed the back of it. They remained in a companionable silence as they walked towards Rachel's apartment.

"Even though the end of this morning was a little weird, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Finn said as they arrived outside of her building.

Rachel groaned and buried her face in Finn's shoulder once again. "That might not have been bad, but I have a dinner to go to with Quinn and the bridesmaids tonight."

Finn chuckled. "It'll be okay. At least you'll have Santana with you."

Rachel pulled back so that Finn could see her pouting. "Yes, but Gwen will be there. And I don't like her."

"Oh, Rach. Just ignore her. She may have graduated from college a few years ago, but it seems like she still wants to spend time in high school."

"That's easy for you to say! She was hitting on you!"

"Rachel Berry." Finn wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "Are you… jealous?"

Rachel's jaw set. "No," she muttered stubbornly. "I'm not _jealous_. I'm just stating a fact."

Finn chuckled again. "Right." When Rachel just continued to pout at him, Finn dropped a soft kiss to her lips. "You know that you have nothing to be worried about, right?"

Rachel smiled. It was sweet of him to reassure her. "I know," she said. "But that doesn't mean I can't be angry when she tries something. Isn't it the same way for guys?"

Finn frowned. "You're right," he relented. "If some guy hit on you, I'd beat the shit out of them."

"Language, Finn," Rachel scolded, but she still giggled. After another moment, she sighed and hugged him tightly. Finn returned the embrace and played with the ends of her hair. "I don't want to go."

"It's not going to be that bad," Finn comforted. "You're going to go have dinner with Quinn and the rest of the bridesmaids, and you and Santana will sit there and have fun."

"Easier said than done, but I'll try. At least you'll be at the wedding." Rachel stretched onto her tiptoes, and Finn met her lips for a kiss. Unwilling to say goodbye, Rachel fisted his shirt in her hands and deepened the kiss. Finn didn't have any problems with complying. But after several long moments Finn gently pulled back.

He gave her that adorable half-smile. "You're trying to stall, Rachel."

"Alright, alright." Rachel kissed him one last time before she stepped towards her door. "Goodbye, Finn."

Finn squeezed her hand before he let it go. "Call me when you get back tonight, okay babe?"

Her entire face brightened at the endearment. "I will." And with one last smile, Rachel went inside.

* * *

"Seriously? I think shoving white-hot needles in my eye would be less painful than this."

Rachel stifled a snort as she twirled her fork through her pasta. Santana did have a point. Quinn looked like she was having a blast, but she was the bride. Everything she did that included the wedding excited her to no end, and Rachel couldn't blame her.

But it was Gwen, Tiffany, and Aubrey that were making things difficult. They were constantly making little jabs at Rachel and the choices she had made to help Quinn with the wedding. They were carefully veiled insults; Quinn was so excited and having such a wonderful time that she missed it, but Rachel and Santana had definitely caught on (Rachel had to stop Santana from using her butter knife to gouge their eyes out more than once).

Quinn excused herself to go call Puck. It was nearing Beth's bedtime, and she wanted to check in before then. As soon as Quinn was out of earshot, Gwen turned to Rachel.

"So, Rachel," she began in syrupy-sweet voice. "Is your sister close to Finn?"

"Obviously not," Santana said before Rachel could respond. "Considering that she cheated on him with his best friend, and all."

Gwen just smiled pleasantly at Santana. "I just wanted to know if there were any lingering feelings between the two of them."

Rachel could barely stop herself from rolling her eyes. "I highly doubt it, since Quinn is getting married in two months."

"I wasn't talking about on Quinn's end," Gwen said. "I meant on Finn's side."

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. She wanted nothing more than to tell Gwen that no, Finn didn't have feelings for Quinn and he certainly wouldn't have feelings for her, either. She wanted to tell Gwen that Finn was very happily in relationship with Rachel. But she couldn't say any of that.

"I think it's safe to say that Finn is completely detached from Quinn," Rachel said instead. As soon as she was finished speaking, she reached for her wine glass and took a large sip of it. She was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she missed the very pointed look Santana sent her way.

"Fabulous," Gwen stated. Turning to Tiffany and Aubrey, she said, "Finn and I will be getting to know each other very well at the wedding."

Tiffany smirked. "Does that mean you'll be having the slutty wedding sex with him?"

With a smirk of her own, Gwen said, "What do you think?"

Rachel promptly choked on her wine. Santana responded by pounding Rachel's back until she stopped coughing. By the time she had recovered, Quinn had returned to the table and all talk of Finn had ceased.

Still oblivious to the knowing look Santana was giving her, Rachel sat there and silently fumed to herself. If anyone was going to be having slutty wedding sex with Finn, it was going to be her.

* * *

**Author's Note: The drama is really starting now. Let me know what you thought!**


	10. it's you i breathe

**Author's Note: A lot of your reviews seriously cracked me up. And I'm over here freaking out because I have over 200 reviews for this story and I'm not even that far into it yet. Words can't even describe how awesome you all are! :) Anyway, you're all getting your wish in regards to Rachel and Finn. So this story will have M-rated smut from now on, so heads up. This chapter title comes from "Everywhere" by Michelle Branch.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

"Slutty wedding sex, Finn! She wanted to have slutty wedding sex with you!"

Finn's warm chuckle soothed Rachel's frayed nerves. "Rachel, relax."

But Rachel was pacing around her room with her phone pressed to her ear. "Finn, if anyone is going to be having slutty wedding sex with you, it's going to be me!"

Finn's voice was husky as he spoke. "Yeah? Is that a plan, then?"

Rachel froze and her cheeks flushed a bright red. She and Finn hadn't really talked about taking that step in their relationship yet, but Rachel certainly wanted to. She had more than one dream featuring Finn since the very first time she had met him. Oh, she definitely wanted to.

"I think we can work something out," Rachel said.

Finn groaned. "We need to stop talking about this right now."

"Oh really? Why?"

"Because I'm about two seconds from going into your apartment and not caring who sees us."

Rachel was feeling very hot and bothered, and she flopped down on her bed. "Maybe we should stop talking about this," Rachel agreed. She giggled when Finn groaned again.

"Why do you have to live with my brother?" he lamented.

"I know, I know," Rachel said into the phone. "I can't even sneak away, because he and Santana would notice that I'm gone." Her voice caught a little bit as she spoke, and the guilt once again plagued her that she was forcing Finn to keep this a secret.

Finn caught on to her distress immediately. "Rach, it's going to be okay. We're going to figure this out." His voice was soothing and comforting, and Rachel closed her eyes as she reveled in it.

"Thank God Santana met that girl at the gym," Rachel said. "She's distracted for now. But we just have to find someone for Kurt, and then we should be good for a while."

"I'll leave you to that," Finn said with a laugh. "I'm not very good at the matchmaking thing."

"I'll keep that in mind." Before Rachel could say anything else, there was a knock at her door.

"Come on, Berry!" Santana called. "Lady Hummel has the booze, and I have the movie set up. Let's go!"

"I'm sorry," Rachel muttered. She was careful not to say Finn's name. "Santana and Kurt and I are having a movie night."

"Alright. I'll talk to you later, baby," Finn said.

Rachel smiled. She really did like the little endearments that he gave her. "Goodbye."

* * *

It wasn't long after Finn hung up with Rachel that his phone rang again. He smiled when he saw that it was his mother calling. "Hi, Mom. What's up?"

"Finny!" Carole exclaimed. Finn let out a quiet sigh when he realized that she was using her coddling mother voice. She was about to start lecturing him about something. "How are you?"

"Okay, Mom. Just tell me what it is you called to talk to me about."

"Finny, I would never. I just wanted to call to see how you were doing."

It didn't take very long for Finn to connect the dots. "Kurt called you, didn't he?" The silence on the other end of the line was all the answer that he needed. Finn bit back a curse and made a mental note to kick his brother's ass later that day. "I can't believe him."

"He's just worried about you, Finn!" Carole exclaimed. "He wants to make sure that you're not putting your life on hold because someone hurt you in the past."

Finn rolled his eyes even though his mother couldn't see him. Why did everyone think that he hadn't been in a relationship because of what Quinn and Puck did? He had dated a few times over the past three years.

True, none of his relationships had lasted longer than a few months because he was completely and totally hung up on Rachel Berry. But that was beside the point.

"Mom, I'm not putting my life on hold," Finn said. "I promise."

Carole sighed. "Are you sure, Finny?" she asked carefully. "Kurt did make a few valid points."

"I know." Finn thought for a long moment before he finally said, "I know that you and Kurt and everyone else are worried about me. And I really appreciate it. But believe me when I say that I'm happy right now."

Carole was quiet for a long moment. What Finn seemed to forget sometimes was that his mother knew him very well. She could tell that there was that he wasn't telling her. And she could also tell that Finn truly was happy. Knowing this made her curious to no end, but she held her questions back. Carole knew that Finn would come to her when he was ready.

"Okay, Finn," Carole said. "I believe you."

Finn let out a sigh of relief. He felt bad for lying to his mother, but he just wanted to check with Rachel before he told her. He was close to his mom and hated keeping things from her, and this was no different.

"Don't worry about me, Mom," Finn said.

Carole let out a laugh. "I'm always going to worry about you, Finn. That's my job as your mother. But I will get Kurt to back off."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll call you later this week, okay?"

"Alright, Finny. I love you."

Finn smiled. "Love you too, Mom."

* * *

Rachel sighed as she came through the front door. She had a very long day at rehearsal and she was just ready to finally sit back and relax. Before she could even discard her jacket and purse, however, both Santana and Kurt blew past her.

"Whoa! Where are you two off to?" Rachel asked.

"Brittany and I have a date tonight," Santana said with a smirk. Brittany was a Zumba instructor at the gym that Santana went to. It didn't take very long for the Latina to ask the blonde out on a date. They had been seeing each other for almost a month now. "And I'm not coming back, so don't wait up."

"I'm getting with my department tonight to work on the costumes for your show," Kurt told Rachel. He was the head of costumes for _West Side Story_. Even before he had graduated, he had made quite a name for himself on Broadway. Shows all over the place wanted him to design their sets and costumes. "And I'm going to be out late tonight, so I probably won't be coming back either. You'll have the whole apartment to yourself."

Rachel smiled. That sounded kind of amazing right now, she wasn't going to lie. She loved her roommates dearly, but she was looking forward to a quiet night at home. And if she was being completely honest with herself, she really wanted to call Finn. It had been almost five days since she had seen him. They had both been busy with work, but they had managed to talk on the phone every night.

She hugged Kurt and Santana goodbye before she shut the door behind them. Rachel quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and a tank top before she grabbed her comforter and went to curl up on the couch. Rachel flipped through the channels on television until she landed on something that wasn't too terrible to watch.

It wasn't long before Rachel drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Two hours later, a series of knocks on the front door woke Rachel up. She yawned as she stood up and stretched, combing her fingers through her messy hair. She padded over to the door and opened it as she yawned once again.

Her eyes brightened immediately when she saw that it was her boyfriend standing on the other side of the door. "Finn! What are you doing here?"

Finn's lips lifted into his wonderful half smile. "I thought I'd surprise you." He held up a brown paper bag. "And I brought Chinese food, if you're interested."

Rachel gave him a smile and pulled him into the apartment. He bent and pressed a soft kiss to her lips as he slid his free hand over her back, and he immediately noticed how tense she was. Finn put the food down the coffee table and ran his hands over her shoulders.

"Why are you so tense?" he asked softly.

Rachel sighed and relaxed under his touch. "It's just been one of those days. That's all."

Finn dropped another gentle kiss to her lips. "I'm sorry, baby," he muttered as his hands began to gently knead her shoulders.

Rachel sighed happily. "I like that."

"Like what?"

"I like when you call me baby. And I like how you're rubbing my shoulders, too."

Finn smiled and took her hand, leading her over to the couch. He sat down and guided Rachel between his legs as his large, warm hands continued to rub her shoulders and back. It wasn't long before the kneading motion turned into him stroking up and down her back and arms. Every now and then, Finn's fingers would slip under the straps or edge of her tank top. Rachel let out a quiet moan and let her head fall back.

Finn bent until his lips were next to her ear. "Feel better?"

Rachel smiled and turned around before she climbed on his lap to straddle him. Finn's hands rested on her thighs before they slid up to her hips. His eyes were dark as he gazed at her, his calloused thumbs rubbing circles on her skin.

"I do feel better," Rachel murmured. She rolled her hips into his a little as she bent and brushed her lips across his. Finn let out a low groan as his hands tightened on her hips. He deepened the kiss, his tongue slipping into her mouth. Rachel locked her fingers in his hair, pressing herself as close to his body as she could.

"Rach, baby," Finn whispered against her lips.

"Touch me, Finn," Rachel commanded. Her body felt like it was on fire as Finn's hands teased all over body, and she just needed him to relieve the ache. He was the only one that could do it, and Rachel had no doubt that Finn would be setting off this fire in her for a very long time.

Finn didn't hesitate to pull her shirt up and over her head. He smoothed his hands over her bare skin, stroking lightly, teasingly. His lips moved down from hers, across her jaw, and to her neck. He nipped and sucked lightly at the sensitive skin as his hands smoothed over her back and stomach. Rachel bucked her hips into his, and Finn cupped her bra-clad breasts with his large hands. He massaged it lightly as he brought his lips back to Rachel's, and she arched into his hands.

Needing to touch more of his skin, Rachel slid her hands under Finn's shirt and tugged until he got the hint and sat back, allowing her to pull it off his body. She ran her hands down his strong chest and abdomen, marveling over how perfect he was. Finn distracted her by kissing her again, bringing one hand up to push her bra strap down. He slowly peeled the cup back from her breast before doing the same to the opposite one.

Rachel gasped as he kissed down to her chest, lightly skimming his lips across the tops of her breasts. He brought his hand around to unhook her bra and Rachel ground down against the hardness she could feel under her, causing Finn to growl against her skin. As soon as her bra fell away Finn stood up, hooking her legs around his waist to support her.

Rachel let out a gasp of surprise and Finn smiled. He carried her down the hall and to her bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. Finn laid Rachel down on the bed and tugged her yoga pants off before he settled over her, his eyes dark as he took her in.

"Rachel," he breathed. "Baby, you're so beautiful."

Rachel smiled and pulled him down to kiss him again. Her hands went around to the front of his jeans, and she popped the button with a flick of her wrist and pulled the zipper down. Rachel continued to push the jeans down his legs with her feet, and she pulled his boxer briefs down as well.

Finn kissed down to her breasts and circled her nipple lightly with the tip of his tongue before enveloping it in his mouth. Rachel let out a gasp that quickly turned into a loud cry as his fingers pressed between her legs, slipping under her panties. He ran two fingers up and down her slit, causing them to be covered in her wetness. With his other hand, he pulled her panties down and threw them behind him before he slid a finger into her, pumping slowly. Finn kissed over to her other breast, giving that one the same treatment.

Rachel's hips rocked against his hand and she closed her eyes, letting out a whine when he added a second finger. His tongue traced under the curve of her breast before he kissed back up to her lips. All of the sudden, Rachel tugged his hand away from between her legs.

"Bedside table. Condom," she panted. She needed him, and she needed him _now_.

Finn reached into her nightstand and pulled the small foil packet out. Rachel took it from him and opened it. She ran her fist up and down his length a few times, marveling over how _large_ he was. Finn groaned, and then Rachel rolled the condom down his length and Finn settled over her once again.

As he pushed into her, he caught her hand in his. She laced their fingers together, squeezing tightly as she closed her eyes. Finn stayed still for a moment, letting her adjust to his size before Rachel began to rock her hips against his. He pulled out and thrust back in, causing another loud cry to spill from Rachel's lips.

Their rhythm was perfect, and Rachel's legs tightened around Finn's waist, causing him to go deeper. He groaned, his head dropping down onto her shoulder as his thrusts became faster and more erratic. Rachel scratched down his back as she careened towards the edge. Colors exploded in front of her eyes as she came, screaming Finn's name. A few thrusts later and Finn was following her, coming hard.

He collapsed to the side and pulled Rachel into his arms, smoothing her sweaty hair back. Finn dropped a tender kiss to Rachel's shoulder, and she smiled as she snuggled further into his side.

"Amazing," she murmured as she pulled the blankets up so that their bodies were covered. Finn smiled and stroked his fingers up and down her back. The movement was so soothing that Rachel's body completely relaxed and she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

When Finn woke up, Rachel was nowhere to be found.

It was early still, only about seven o'clock in the morning. He figured that no one was home yet, since the apartment was still so quiet. So Finn rolled out of bed and pulled his boxers on. As he stepped out of the bedroom, he heard the sound of soft singing coming from the kitchen.

Rachel was standing at the stove, wearing only his t-shirt. She was frying up some eggs and bacon, her hair a messy halo around her head. Finn leaned against the doorframe and just watched her for a moment, a smile playing on his lips. He could really get used to waking up to this.

With that thought in mind, Finn walked up to Rachel and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. Rachel smiled and put her free hand over his. Finn brushed Rachel's hair back and pressed several kisses onto the soft skin of her neck.

"Morning, baby," he murmured.

Rachel turned the stove off and slid the food onto a plate. "Good morning, Finn. Are you hungry?"

"I'm hungry, but not for food." Finn spun Rachel around in his arms and pressed her against the counter, kissing her deeply. Rachel returned the kiss, smiling against his lips.

"Finn, we need to have breakfast," Rachel said with a giggle as she pulled away.

Finn sighed dramatically before he dropped another quick kiss to Rachel's lips. "Fine. If you insist."

They took a seat at the small kitchen table. Finn happily ate the bacon and eggs that Rachel had made for him, while she had a bowl of fresh fruit and some toast. Not much was exchanged between the two of them other than little looks and sweet smiles. And the longer Rachel sat there, the more she realized that this was how she wanted to wake up from now on.

* * *

**Author's Note: We're still a little bit away from the wedding, but we'll get there eventually. As always, thank you for reading! :)**


	11. the moment we needed the most

**Author's Note: I'm so glad that all of you enjoyed the last chapter! So, fun fact: I actually have some of these chapters pre-written, so a good chunk of this story is already planned out. I'm glad that you're all enjoying it so far. :) Anyway, I'm bumping up the update day for this a little bit, since I'm on break. I kind of wish I would have done that sooner…**

**Seriously though, finding songs for the chapter titles of these stories is the hardest thing ever. This chapter title comes from the song "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

"Something is different about you."

Finn looked up from the paperwork he was filling out as his coworker and friend, Sam Evans, came into the room. He and Sam had been on the same engine for the past two years, so they had become pretty good friends over that time.

Finn's brow furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Sam smirked. "Well, to be frank… you look like you've gotten laid."

Finn could feel the tips of his ears turning red, and he bit back a curse. This whole thing with keeping his relationship with Rachel a secret was getting very tiring. At this point, he could do one of two things: he could deny and have Sam be on his case for God only knew how long, or he could confide in his friend because he was getting annoyed with keeping this a secret.

Sam took Finn's silence for affirmation. "You totally have. So who was it?"

Finn scrubbed a hand over his face. "We're kind of keeping it quiet for now."

"Keeping it quiet?" Sam repeated. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity at Finn's cryptic words. "What, does this have to be a secret or something?"

"For the time being, yes."

Sam gave his friend a concerned look. After a long moment, he finally said, "Well, when you decide to share what's going on with the rest of us, Mercedes is going to want to meet her. You know that she's going to want to give your girl her seal of approval."

Finn smiled and relaxed. "Thanks, man," he said. He was going to have to talk to Rachel about this. Even though Sam worked with Puck as well, Finn knew that he wouldn't say anything. Besides, it would be nice to have some people on their side.

Sam nodded his head and walked towards the door. Before he left the room, he turned back towards Finn. "For the record, Finn… I don't think I've ever seen you this happy. Good for you."

Finn couldn't help the smile that formed on his face.

* * *

"Hey, Quinn!" Rachel brushed her hair out of her face and tried to catch her breath. She had practically run from the subway in her haste to get to the hotel where Puck and Quinn's wedding was being held. With the wedding quickly approaching, Quinn had asked for Rachel's help with the finalization of all the details. "I'm sorry I'm late. I got held up on the subway, but I—" She stopped speaking abruptly when she saw the redhead standing next to her sister.

"It's okay, Rachel!" Quinn said brightly. "I was having lunch with Gwen when she asked if she could tag along today. I figured having an extra opinion would be nice."

Rachel forced a smile onto her face. "Oh yes," she said. "That's wonderful." As soon as Quinn turned away, Rachel rolled her eyes. Not only was Gwen trying to sleep with her boyfriend, but now she was encroaching on her role in the wedding. Rachel normally wasn't one for violence, but she was about to take a page out of Santana's book.

Trying to shake her sudden bad mood off, Rachel said, "I'm glad that we decided to have the reception in the Gold Ballroom," she said.

The hotel that they were in had two ballrooms; one was very ornate, with many heavy Italian influences. The ballroom that they had chosen for the reception also was influenced by the Italians, but it was much more simple. The floor was marble, it had floor to ceiling windows, and there were subtle gold accents all over the room. The focus of the room was a large, beautiful chandelier. The space was big and open, and they would be able to do all sorts of things to it when it came to decorations.

Before Quinn could say anything, Gwen spoke. "We were actually just talking about that," she said in her overly-sweet voice. "We were thinking that the Grand Ballroom might be a better place for the reception."

Rachel's temper shot up again and she arched an eyebrow as she looked to her sister. "_We_ were thinking?" she repeated. "Really?"

"The decision hasn't been made yet," Quinn said quickly. "But it was just something that we were discussing before you came here."

Rachel inhaled slowly through her nose to calm herself before speaking again. "Do you remember all of the plans that we had for this ballroom?" she said. She was speaking to Quinn only, and was completely ignoring Gwen. "You said that as soon as you and Puck walked in here, you both instantly knew that this was the place where you would have your dream wedding. Has that really changed?"

Quinn smiled as she remembered the first moment she had walked in here. It hadn't been very long after Puck had proposed. She had been with him, his parents, her father and step mother, and Rachel. Puck had loved the space just as much as she had, and she had known in that moment that this was where she wanted to get married. While Quinn felt as though Gwen had made valid points for the Grand Ballroom, she knew that the Gold Ballroom was really where she wanted to be. She was glad that Rachel had been there to remind her of it.

"You're right, Rachel," Quinn said. "This is the perfect place." Turning to Gwen, she said, "You had some really nice points about the Grand Ballroom, but the Gold Ballroom is perfect. I think that we're going to have the reception here."

Gwen just smiled, and Rachel kind of wanted to scratch it off her face. "The Gold Ballroom is a great choice, Quinn," she said. "Now, I was thinking that you could have long tables with silver tablecloths."

And Rachel had to stop Gwen before she could say anything more. They were in a ballroom with gold accents for Pete's sake. And besides, they had already decided on the tablecloths and the type of tables they were going to have.

"We've already decided on white tablecloths and round tables," Rachel said. She tried to keep the snark out of her voice as she spoke. She had to keep in mind that she was going to be around Gwen for the next month and a half.

"Since the bridesmaid dresses are green, I thought that silver would be nice to go off of that," Gwen stated. And Quinn might not have been able to tell, but Rachel knew that Gwen still didn't like the fact that the dresses were green.

"But the white tablecloths will have gold accents, and it will tie the whole room together. That is another color that won't clash with the green dresses." She wanted to put an end to this conversation. Thankfully, Quinn did.

"I think we're going to go with the white tablecloths," Quinn said quickly. "We saw them already and they look perfect."

Gwen nodded her head as her cellphone rang. She walked out of the ballroom to take the call, and Quinn and Rachel just stood in the center of the ballroom. Finally, Quinn turned towards Rachel with a curious look on her face.

"Is everything okay between you and Gwen?" Quinn asked.

Rachel schooled her features and tilted her head at Quinn. "Of course things are fine between Gwen and I! Why wouldn't they be?"

"I'm sensing some… animosity between the two of you. And I don't quite understand it, since there's really no reason for you two to be angry with each other."

Rachel sighed. Quinn was doing that thing where she couldn't see the small details because she was so excited about what was going on in her own life. It must have been nice on Planet Quinn, Rachel decided.

"We're not angry with each other," Rachel explained. Although, if she made another pass at Finn, there would be no stopping Rachel from what she might do. "I guess we just don't see eye to eye on everything. I feel as though Gwen is trying to change everything that we've already decided on."

Quinn's face softened. "Oh, Rachel." She hugged her tightly. "You're my little sister. I picked you to be my maid of honor. I picked you to help me make these decisions, because I wanted you to help me. Gwen is just a friend from college. She can be a little controlling sometimes. She's always been like that."

Rachel didn't want to put added stress on Quinn, since the wedding was so close. So she just smiled at her sister and said, "Things will be fine, Quinn. Don't worry about it."

* * *

"That's it. We obviously just need to take that bitch out."

Rachel laughed as she brought a glass of wine over to Santana and held it out. After Santana took it, Rachel settled onto the couch and took a sip of her own wine. "I would agree with you, but I promised Quinn that everything would be okay."

Santana rolled her eyes. "Why do you have to go and make promises like that? You shouldn't make promises that I can't keep."

"Well, I did make that promise, and you are going to keep it. Santana, we can't start anything with Gwen." Rachel couldn't even tell Santana that she was really angry with Gwen because she kept making passes at Finn. As far as Santana knew, Rachel was pissed at Gwen because she kept trying to take her spot as maid of honor. Rachel was mad about that as well. All around, she just really disliked Gwen.

"Can I kick her ass after the wedding, then?" Santana asked. "That way, your dear sister Quinn won't have to worry about her perfect wedding being ruined."

The front door to their apartment opened, and Kurt came in carrying several large shopping bags. "Whose ass are you going to kick, am I somehow going to be involved, and are we going to be arrested for it?"

Rachel was grumbling down into her wine glass, so she missed the second person following Kurt into the apartment. He was laden down with bags as well, but Rachel was too busy glaring darkly and muttering to herself.

Santana nudged Rachel with her foot. "Well, our little Berry wouldn't mind kicking Gwen's ass, either."

"Ah, so it's Gwen," Kurt said. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I know that you've been having trouble with her. What happened?"

"I'm the maid of honor," Rachel stated. She was still glaring at her wine glass. "And she's trying to change everything about the wedding."

"Honey," Kurt said. "While I see where you're coming from, I just want to point out that it's not your wedding. It's not like you had to make these choices for yourself."

Rachel finally looked up to glare at him. "That's not the point!" she exclaimed shrilly. It was then that her eyes fell on Finn, who was also holding several large shopping bags. "Oh! Hello, Finn!"

Finn smiled at her, but Rachel could see that his eyes were full of concern. "Hey, Rach." He dropped the bags on the ground before he turned to his brother. "Leave her alone, Kurt. It may not be her wedding, but Quinn is her sister."

"Lurch makes a fair point," Santana said. "Quinn is Rachel's sister. That bitch Gwen can't come in here and try to change everything. So quit being so mean to Berry, Lady Hummel."

Kurt sighed and set his bags down as well before he went to join Rachel and Santana on the couch. He wrapped his arm around her. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I will gladly kick Gwen's ass with you and Santana."

Rachel smiled and hugged Kurt in return. "Thank you. You're forgiven."

"Excellent!" Kurt clapped his hands together and stood up. "So let's order some Chinese food and pop a movie in. I invited Finn over for some bonding tonight, since he's been so busy lately. So it's his pick tonight."

"Pick something good, lurch," Santana ordered. "I'm not watching something boring or poorly made."

As Kurt went to order the food, Finn rifled through the movies until he found something that they all wouldn't mind. He handed it to Santana so that she could put it in, and then he settled next to Rachel on the couch. He brushed his fingers down her back and a small smile came onto to Rachel's face.

When Kurt and Santana came back, they sat on the couch as well. It forced Finn and Rachel to sit closer together, but neither of them minded. Finn spent the majority of the movie stroking Rachel's back when no one could see. Rachel felt her mood get infinitely better as the night progressed.

* * *

It got so late that Kurt insisted that Finn stay over (something about the danger of the streets and the excessive cost of cabs. Finn was just too tired to argue. And he really wanted to make sure that Rachel was okay). So everyone went to get ready for bed while Finn settled himself on the couch. Rachel proceeded to toss and turn for several hours, but she was still so worked up that she couldn't really get to sleep.

So she rolled out of bed and went into the kitchen, intent on getting a glass of water. As she was by the sink, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. She relaxed immediately as she rested against Finn's strong chest.

He kissed her neck. "I'm sorry you didn't have a good day, baby," he murmured.

"It's okay," Rachel sighed out as Finn's lips moved over her neck. "I just really don't like her."

"I know, Rach. I'm sorry." Finn moved his lips up to hers and kissed her softly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Before Rachel could answer, Finn spun her around and lifted her up, setting her on the counter. Rachel bit down on her lip in order to keep from squealing out loud. Finn kissed her deeply, his hands stroking under her sleeping shirt to cup her breasts. Finn's thumbs flicked over her nipples as he massaged gently. Rachel moaned into his mouth and wrapped her legs around his waist.

Finn brought one hand down and tugged her shorts and underwear off. He stroked his hand up and down the inside of her thigh before he slipped his fingers between her already soaked folds. Rachel moaned again, and Finn smiled against her lips.

"Are you relaxed yet?" he murmured.

Finn's fingers were still moving between her legs, and Rachel's hips rocked against his hand. She whimpered before she managed to pant out, "I'm not quite sure. Not entirely."

"Then I have to fix that." Finn kissed her again before he knelt down and spread her legs further apart. Lifting one, he kissed her ankle and then all the way up to her knee. He did the same with her other leg while his hands moved up and down her inner thigh. He dragged his nose up and down her thigh, smirking when she let out another moan.

"Can you be quiet?" he asked. As if to tease her even further, Finn gently bit down on the inside of thigh, right near her center.

Rachel bit her lip and nodded her head. She wasn't very sure if she believed herself, and Finn knew it. He kissed the spot he had bitten down on, and Rachel whimpered again. He pulled her left leg over his shoulder and then her right, and his hands reached up to hold on to her thighs.

"Are you sure about that?"

No, she wasn't sure about that. "_Finn,_" Rachel gasped. But, you know. She could manage if he just _touched_ her already.

"You're so beautiful," Finn told Rachel. He kissed her thigh again. "Perfect. Sexy. Gorgeous."

Finn gave her a smoldering look before his tongue slid between her folds. Rachel gasped and locked her fingers in his hair. His tongue moved up to her clit, and then he wrapped his lips around it and sucked. Rachel moaned and then clapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from getting any louder.

With his lips still wrapped around her nub, Finn slid two fingers inside of her. Rachel's hips bucked up and she pressed her lips together to hold back another loud moan. The feelings coursing through here were indescribable as Finn continued to pleasure with his mouth and fingers. It wasn't long before she was falling over the edge. With a shudder, Rachel fell apart under Finn's mouth and hands. She cried out against her hand and really hoped that she didn't wake anyone up.

Finn pressed gentle kisses to Rachel's thighs as she calmed down. He stood up, licked his lips, and then licked his fingers. All the while, his eyes were still dark as he gazed down at her. He caged her in his arms and leaned over, brushing his lips against hers.

"Feel better?" Finn asked.

Rachel moaned quietly and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for a deeper kiss. She was very aware of the fact that her bare bottom was resting on her kitchen counter. But she didn't care, because Finn had just made her feel so amazing.

"I feel… I feel…" Rachel finally managed.

Finn smirked. "No words? Huh. I'm impressed."

Rachel wrapped her arms around him and cuddled against him, letting out a happy sigh when his arms wrapped around her in return. "So much more than better," she murmured, feeling exhaustion suddenly hit her.

"I'm glad."

"Thank you, Finn."

Finn brushed Rachel's hair back and tenderly kissed her forehead. "Anytime, baby."

A warm feeling spread through Rachel and she snuggled closer to him. "I wish that you could sleep in my bed again."

"I do, too," Finn said. "First off, your couch is really uncomfortable." Rachel giggled and pushed against his chest playfully. Finn chuckled before he continued. "Secondly… I really liked sleeping with you, Rachel. Both in the literal and figurative sense."

Finn and Rachel stayed wrapped up in each other's arms for several long moments before Rachel slid off the counter. Finn handed Rachel her panties and shorts, and she pulled them on. Standing on her tiptoes, Rachel pressed a kiss to Finn's lips.

"Come sleep with me anyway," she whispered.

"Are you sure?" Finn asked. But he was already stepping towards Rachel's room.

Rachel giggled again. "We can set an alarm before either Kurt or Santana wake up."

Finn scooped her up into his arms. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

**Author's Note: Yup. So… that happened. Right now, Finn and Rachel are just having extreme luck with their sneaking around. It's not going to last forever. People are definitely going to start figuring it out. :)**


	12. someone to face the day with

**Author's Note: You are all truly amazing. Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! This chapter title is from the song "I'll Be There For You" by The Rembrandts.**

**Here's another fun fact for everyone! My wonderful friend, firecracker1990, has designated me her personal Finchel Fluff Bitch (No lie. That's my new name, apparently). That means I'll be cranking out some long one-shots. She should bake me cookies, or something.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Rachel jumped as Santana slapped her hand down on the kitchen counter. "Santana, what was that for? You scared me!"

"Sorry, Berry," Santana stated in an unapologetic voice. "I just had to get your attention."

"Yes, Santana. You have my attention. Now what do you want?"

"Kurt has a boyfriend."

Rachel's mouth dropped and her eyes went wide. "What?" she exclaimed. "Really? This is so exciting!"

Santana shook her head. "Berry, you're totally missing the point here. Yes, it's all well and good that Kurt is in a new relationship, but we obviously have to kick his ass for keeping it from us."

Rachel laughed. "Do we really need to do that? I think we need to let Kurt tell us on his own time."

"Wrong. Do you remember the last time he had a boyfriend? That Chandler dude? He was a douchebag, Rachel. We can't let that happen to Kurt again. So you and I are going to go spy on them—"

Okay, yes. It may not have been the greatest idea, but it sure sounded exciting. "I'm not going to lie to you. That sounds like fun."

"—I know. And then we're going to kick Kurt's ass since he didn't tell us about his new boyfriend."

"I don't think beating Kurt is required, Santana. But we definitely need to look up his new man."

Santana patted Rachel's shoulder. "Oh, Berry. Just know that if you had a secret boyfriend, I would kick your ass for not telling me, too."

Rachel winced when Santana's back was turned. To cover it up, she jumped up and grabbed her jacket and purse. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go find Kurt's new boyfriend!"

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby! How are you?"

Rachel smiled as she heard Finn's voice on the other end of the line. Santana had gone to get them some coffee, so it was Rachel's job to watch out for the new boyfriend. "I'm fantastic!"

"Oh really?" Finn sounded amused by Rachel's enthusiasm. "Is there any reason for that?"

"Funny you should ask, actually. We're currently checking up on your brother's new boyfriend."

"Wait. Kurt has a new boyfriend?"

Apparently, Kurt was keeping his new boyfriend a secret from everyone. "Santana found him, yes."

"And you're stalking him?"

"We're not stalking him!" Rachel defended. "We're just checking up on him. We have to make sure that this is an acceptable guy for Kurt."

"I can't believe you're stalking Kurt's new boyfriend. And I can't believe he was giving me crap about not having a girlfriend!"

"Hey!"

"You know what I mean. He told my mom on me. Wait until I tell her that he's been hiding a secret boyfriend. Maybe that will get her off my case for a while…"

"Finn. Can we focus? Oh my gosh! There he is!"

"Wait," Finn interrupted. "How do you even know what this guy looks like?"

"Oh, Santana showed me a picture," Rachel said pleasantly.

"How does she even… Never mind. I don't even want to know. What does he look like?"

Rachel tilted her head as she studied the man. "He's a little on the shorter side. He has curly black hair, and… Aw, look! He's wearing a bow tie. He's kind of cute."

"Well, that's great," Finn grumbled. "But I can't make a judgment based on how he looks alone. I remember the last guy Kurt dated. He was a real asshole."

"That's really cute!" Rachel gushed.

"What is?" Finn asked. "The fact that Kurt's ex-boyfriend was an asshole?"

"No, the fact that you're so protective. It's really sweet."

"Oh." Just by the tone of his voice, Rachel could tell that she had caused Finn to blush. "Well, he is my little brother, after all."

"It's sweet," Rachel repeated with a smile.

"So what's your plan?" Finn asked. "Are you going to talk to him, or are you just going to sit there and stalk him?"

"We're not stalking him! And… I don't really know if we have a plan or not. Santana and I normally never plan these things out."

"This is going to end badly," Finn stated.

"It is not! Why do you have so little faith in me?"

"Kurt has told me stories. Didn't you do the same thing to his boyfriend your sophomore year of college? You scared the guy away, or something."

"It was Santana that scared him away, not me! And he wasn't right for Kurt, anyway! It's kind of a rule: if our significant others can't handle Santana, then they can't be in a relationship with us."

"I guess it's a good thing that I can handle Santana, then," Finn said.

Rachel's smile grew even wider. "It really is." And right after that, Rachel caught sight of Santana coming back. "Speaking of, Santana is coming back right now, so I have to go. But call me when you get off your shift tomorrow, okay?"

"I will. Bye, baby."

Rachel smiled at the term of endearment. "Bye, Finn."

Rachel hung up just as Santana reached the table. She put the coffee cups down and narrowed her eyes at Rachel.

"What are you smiling about, Berry?" Santana demanded.

Rachel was very impressed with the excuse she came up with right on the spot. "Kurt's new boyfriend is right over there. He's cute."

Santana seemed to accept this as an excuse. She turned inspect the dark-haired man with gelled hair. After a moment of intense scrutiny, she declared, "He looks like a hobbit."

"Santana!"

"What? I'm just saying."

"Look at his little bow tie!"

"Exactly. Who wears bow ties anymore?"

"We can't judge him on how he dresses."

"I used to judge you based on how you dressed like a preschooler. And then I judged the extreme change you made. Seriously, Berry. I don't know why you insisted on caking so much eyeliner on your face. Now you actually dress like a real person. So I forgive you for all previous transgressions."

"Okay! Thank you, Santana." Rachel held her hands up. "We need to stop arguing about this. What's the next step?"

Santana held up her coffee cup. "I'm going to casually walk by him and then pretend to trip so I end up spilling my entire coffee all over him. Viola! Instant conversation."

Rachel shook her head. "No. That's a horrible idea. Besides, his clothes look too nice to spill coffee on it. Be nice."

Santana rolled her eyes and grabbed Rachel's hand. "Fine. Let's get closer, then." The pair of friends quickly moved to another table much closer to Kurt's new boyfriend's. They both turned their chairs towards him but tried to remain as nonchalant as possible.

"Should we say hello?" Rachel questioned. "He looks like he might be interested in music."

"How do you know that?" Santana demanded. "You just assume that everyone likes music."

Rachel pointed to the table. "He has sheet music with him."

"Oh. Right."

"What's his name, anyway?" Rachel asked.

Santana scrolled through her phone until she found a picture and showed it to Rachel. "Blaine Anderson."

Rachel looked at the picture before she looked up at Santana with wide eyes. "Tana, how in the world did you get this picture?"

Santana just gave her an evil little smile. "I have my ways. I—" She stopped speaking when a shadow fell over their table. Santana and Rachel looked at each other before they looked up at the newcomer.

Somehow, Blaine Anderson had gotten up without either Santana or Rachel noticing. He was standing over them with his arms crossed and an amused smile on his face.

"Hello, Santana Lopez and Rachel Berry," he said.

"_Hola_," Santana said immediately.

Before Santana could say anything further, Rachel cut in. "Hello, Blaine Anderson. How are you?"

He gave her a kind smile. "Well, I couldn't help but notice that you and Santana were talking about me. So I thought that I would come over and introduce myself."

"You're handling this very well," Santana noted. "Do you have two extremely hot women following you around all the time?"

Blaine laughed. "No, it doesn't happen often. But I did recognize the two of you from the pictures Kurt has shown me."

"We care about Kurt," Rachel explained. "We just wanted to see what you were like."

"I completely understand," Blaine said. "And don't worry, I won't tell Kurt about this."

Santana narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you trying to butter us up, Hobbit?"

Blaine blinked at the new nickname, but he took it in stride. "Is it working?"

Santana and Rachel looked at each other and turned back to Blaine. "Yes," they said in unison.

* * *

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU STALKED MY BOYFRIEND!"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DIDN'T TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW BOYFRIEND!"

"I DIDN'T TELL YOU BECAUSE I KNEW YOU WOULD STALK HIM!"

"WE DIDN'T STALK HIM! AND YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD US!"

Rachel could barely hear her phone ringing over Santana and Kurt's shouting. But she noticed the screen light up, and she grabbed it and retreated into the bathroom in order to block the excess noise out. She smiled when she saw that it was her papa calling.

"Hi, Papa!" she said as she answered.

"Hello, little star!" Leroy Berry greeted cheerfully.

Hiram Berry's voice joined his husband's. "I'm here too, Rachela!"

"Daddy!" Rachel was glad that she was able to talk to both of her fathers on the phone at the same time. "Is there a reason that I'm being treated to a call from both of you?"

"We just wanted to check in on you," Leroy said. "How are you?"

Rachel smiled, even though her fathers couldn't see her. "I'm great, Papa. Fantastic, even."

"Oh! Why are you in such a fabulous mood? Did you get another part? Did the director finally recognize the talent that you have?" Hiram exclaimed. It was easy to see where Rachel got her rambling from.

Rachel laughed. The director of _West Side Story_, William Schuester, knew exactly how talented Rachel was. She was just out of college and she had already landed a part in a show that was on Broadway, even if it was only in the chorus (And really, Rachel knew that it wouldn't be very long until she was getting a leading role. She was already on Broadway, so a starring role wasn't very far behind).

"No, Daddy. Not yet. I've just been in a really good mood lately."

"Oh, is there any reason for that?" Hiram asked.

Leroy continued. "A boy, perhaps?"

Never doubt the insight of a parent. Rachel had barely been on the phone with her fathers for five minutes, and they already knew that she was in a relationship. Rachel had to tread very carefully with this.

"What are you talking about, Papa? You would know if I was in a relationship." Rachel added a laugh just for extra effect, but it did nothing to convince her fathers.

"We do know, Rachel," Hiram said. "We're your fathers. We can tell."

"So tell us who he is," Leroy added.

"Or we could guess!"

"Let's guess."

Rachel groaned. "Daddy! Papa!"

But they ignored their daughter and continued with their guessing game. "It wouldn't be anyone that Rachel dated in college," Hiram said knowingly. "None of them was good enough for our little star."

"Not at all," Leroy agreed. "But I think that it's someone that she knows."

"Someone from her past."

"Yes. Now who could it possibly be?"

Rachel let out a huff. They knew. Her fathers totally knew. "Alright, alright. How long have the two of you known?"

Hiram chuckled. "Oh, little star. We've known that you've had a crush on Finn Hudson for quite some time."

"When did he finally suck it up and ask you out?" Leroy asked. "We have to have the two of you over for dinner. We've already given Finn a questioning, but now we get to do it again. We have to make a whole new list of questions for him."

Deciding that she really couldn't hide it, Rachel said, "We started seeing each other a little under a month ago."

"This will be interesting," Leroy muttered.

"Why would it be interesting?" Hiram asked. "I'm so happy for the two of them!"

"Oh, Hiram," Leroy said. "Have you forgotten that Finn is Quinn's ex-boyfriend?"

"Oh. I see. But I'm not sure why it's such a big deal..."

"Which is exactly why Finn and I are keeping this relationship quiet for now," Rachel interrupted. She pretended as if her daddy hadn't spoken. They were in too deep to change their decision now. "We're waiting until after the wedding. So please don't say anything."

"Don't worry, Rachel," Hiram said. He sighed, but he had to trust his little girl. "We won't tell a soul."

Honestly, Rachel was glad that her fathers were busy with work. There would be less of a chance that they would do something embarrassing. Rachel chatted with her daddy and papa for a few more minutes before she said goodbye.

Rachel sent a quick text message off to Finn, and he called her a few moments later. "Hey, Rachel! I had a few free minutes. What did you need to talk to me about?"

"My fathers know," Rachel said immediately.

"Know?" Finn sounded confused. "Know about what?"

Rachel smiled. "My fathers know that we're together."

"Oh shit," Finn said. "Really? Do they still hate me? They hate me, don't they?"

"Finn, my fathers never hated you!" Rachel was trying hard not to laugh, but she couldn't help it. "They're actually very happy for us."

"Are you sure about that?" Finn asked. "Are you sure that your fathers aren't just plotting to kill me? Because you have two fathers. Plus a stepfather! That's three fathers, Rachel! _Three!_"

"Finn, you need to relax," Rachel soothed. Now she was the one trying to calm Finn down. "Everything will be fine. You have nothing to worry about."

"Okay," Finn said. "Okay. So Tina knows, I'm going to tell Sam and Mercedes, and your fathers know. We're not doing a very good job of keeping this a secret, are we?"

Finn and Rachel had talked earlier about the two friends that they had told. They had both agreed that it would be nice to tell someone. But Rachel certainly hadn't counted on her fathers finding out within the first five minutes of their conversation.

"We're fine," Rachel said. "It's going to be fine, and everything is going to be okay."

She could practically hear Finn's smile. "I really wish I could see you right now," he muttered.

"I do too, Finn. But I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"You will. I'll talk to you later, baby. Bye."

"Bye, Finn!" And Rachel hung up feeling much better, as she always did after she talked to Finn. But she could still hear Santana and Kurt yelling at each other. Taking a deep breath, Rachel opened the bathroom door and went out into the fray. But she didn't mind, because she was in such a fantastic mood.

* * *

**Author's Note: Aha, so people have already started to figure it out! Rachel's fathers are the first people on the list who (officially) know about Finn and Rachel's relationship. So it begins!**

**Anyway, there were a lot of phone calls in this chapter, but they were very important. Thanks for reading, and I hope that you all liked it!**


	13. let me be the one you call

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of the amazing reviews! This chapter titles comes from "Crash and Burn" by Savage Garden.**

**Also, I have a new one-shot up (yup, I'm pimping my stories. Don't mind me). It's called "As You Wish" and it's based off of **_**The Princess Bride**_**, which happens to be my favorite movie of all time. It would seriously mean so much to me if you could check it out and tell me what you think. Thanks! :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

It was nearing dinner time when Rachel got a phone call from Quinn. She had just been getting out of rehearsal when she took the call.

"Hello, Quinn!"

"Rachel," Quinn said before Rachel couldn't continue talking. "Puck is on a call."

As always, Rachel immediately hailed a cab and gave him Quinn and Puck's address. Whenever Puck was on a call, Quinn would call Rachel and she would go sit with her sister. This time, Rachel's worried was amplified a million times over. Because if Puck was on a call, that meant that Finn was on the same call.

"I'll be there in five minutes, Quinn," Rachel said. She hung up the phone as she settled into the cab. She tried to control her breathing as she stared down at the phone. She willed Finn to call or send her a text, but she knew that he wasn't going to. Not until he was back at the station, anyway.

The cab pulled up in front of Quinn's apartment and Rachel got out. She quickly made her way up to the apartment and let herself in. Quinn was curled up on the couch, wearing one of Puck's sweaters as she watched the news report on television. She jumped up when she saw her sister and hugged her.

"Thank you for coming over so quickly," Quinn said. "Beth is over with another friend for now, which is good. It's a four-alarm fire at an apartment in Brooklyn, and… it looks bad, Rachel. I'm just really worried right now."

"I know," Rachel said as she hugged Quinn in return. "I know. But this is Puck's job. He's been doing this for almost four years. We just need to trust that everything will be okay."

And as Rachel spoke, she tried to get herself to believe the same thing. Finn was equally as good at his job, and he had been doing it for just as long. Rachel just had to have faith that everything was going to turn out just fine.

Quinn and Rachel settled on the couch. The longer the news report was on, the more anxious Rachel got. It was half an hour later when she finally snatched up the remote and quickly changed the channel.

"It will be good a way to take your mind off of what's happening," Rachel said. Quinn just nodded her head, and Rachel stood up and disappeared into the kitchen for a moment.

She had never been this worried in her life. Rachel was so afraid for Finn, but she tried to calm herself down. Rachel leaned against the counter and took several deep breaths. She ran a hand through her hair and gave herself another moment before she went back out into the living room.

"They're just clearing everything up," Quinn said as soon as Rachel walked in. "But I think that there was some sort of accident. They're not saying a lot about it, though."

Rachel's heart shot up into her throat. "Was it someone from the apartment complex, or was it… was it a firefighter?"

"I don't think it was someone who lived in the building," Quinn said. "And if it were Puck, I would have gotten a call by now."

Rachel exhaled slowly. If something had happened to Finn, Kurt would have gotten a call, and Rachel had no doubt that she would have heard about it by now. So she could feel marginally better just by knowing that she hadn't gotten a call yet. Her worry wouldn't be completely abated until she saw him again, however.

It was another half an hour until Puck came back to the apartment. He dragged himself through the door, tired and smelling of smoke. But he was safe, and Quinn jumped up and hugged him tightly when she saw him.

"I'm glad that you're okay, Puck," Quinn said.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Puck mumbled. He kissed her gently and hugged her in return.

"How are you? Is everyone else okay?" Quinn asked.

Puck rubbed the back of his neck. "We lost someone today," he admitted. "He was part of our engine. It was an accident but… we all took it pretty hard."

And in that moment, Rachel knew that she had to go to Finn's apartment. She stayed with Puck and Quinn for a few more moments before she said her goodbyes and left. She immediately hailed another cab and jumped in, giving the driver Finn's address.

It was another ten minutes before she got there. Rachel scrambled out of the cab and quickly climbed the three flights of stairs to Finn's apartment. Without wasting any more time, she knocked on the door. Several long moments passed before it opened, revealing Finn. He had the same tired look that Puck had been wearing, and he had soot smeared on his face.

"Rachel," he muttered.

"Oh, Finn." Rachel reached up and touched his cheek. She brushed her thumb across the soot, wiping it off.

He stepped aside to allow Rachel to walk in. She kept her hand against his cheek and turned his face towards hers. He closed his eyes and slid his hand over hers, giving it a squeeze. Rachel's heart broke a little at the look of pain on his face. She stepped closer to him and he wrapped his free arm around her waist.

They stood there like that for a long time. Finn kept his eyes closed as he breathed in and out, and he held Rachel to him like his life depended on it. Rachel rested her cheek against his chest, listening to the reassuring thud of his heart. Wrapped up in his arms, she felt infinitely better than she had all day.

Eventually, he pulled back and opened his eyes. Rachel stood on her tiptoes and brushed a gentle kiss across his lips. Taking his hand, she pulled him through his apartment and into the bathroom. Turing the shower on, she waited until he stripped down before she guided him under the spray. Rachel sat down on the edge of the tub and just watched as he stood under the water. His back was turned towards her, his shoulders tense as he let the water wash over him. He pressed his hands to the wall, resting his forehead against the tile.

"Finn," Rachel whispered. She wished that there was something that she could do or say to make this better, but she was at a complete loss. She was just so glad that Finn had returned physically unscathed. Emotionally, however, he wasn't okay. Rachel just wanted to help him more than anything.

Finn's face turned towards her and he held his hand out. Rachel took his hand, entwining their fingers as she stepped into the shower, clothes and all. She wrapped her arms around him, pressing her cheek to his wet back. Finn's hands settled over hers, thumbs rubbing against her skin.

They stood there until the water ran cold. Finn eventually turned the water off and helped Rachel out of the shower. He grabbed a towel and dried her off first before he wrapped one around his waist. Rachel simply watched him as he tugged her shirt and skirt off with gentle hands. Once she was completely naked, he ran the towel over her body again. When he was finished, he took her hand and led her towards the bed.

They climbed in together and Finn wrapped his arms around her. Rachel pressed her fingers to his chest as she rested her head against his shoulder. His eyes were closed once again and he was holding her just as tightly as he had before. Rachel traced little patterns on his chest and reveled in the feeling of her bare skin against his.

Rachel closed her eyes as well. It wasn't long before they both fell asleep, wrapped up in each other's arms.

* * *

When Rachel woke the next morning, she was still wrapped in Finn's arms. He was awake and watching her, and she gave him a sleepy smile. His lips curled up a little and he smoothed a hand over her hair.

"Good morning," Rachel murmured as she stretched. Finn held her closer, pressing his cheek against her hair. He didn't say anything; instead, he just let the feel of her being in his arms wash over him. He felt like it had been a long time since he had been this relaxed.

Finn's stomach chose to interrupt the moment by growling loudly. Rachel looked up at him before she dissolved into laughter, and Finn's face relaxed into his first real smile in twenty-four hours. Her laughter immediately made him feel so much better.

Rachel rolled out of bed, and Finn took a moment to admire her naked form as she looked around for something to wear. She eventually found one of his FDNY t-shirts and pulled it on.

Finn tucked his hands behind his head as he watched her. "My shirt looks great on you."

A sultry smile crossed Rachel's face as she posed for him, arching her back. "I'm keeping it."

"You won't be hearing any complaints from me."

Rachel found a pair of Finn's shorts and tossed them to him. "Come on. Let's go make some breakfast."

Finn tugged on his shorts as requested and they made their way into the kitchen. Rachel pointed to the chair at the kitchen table, and Finn sat down. She then proceeded to rummage through his fridge, pulling out a carton of eggs and a pack of bacon.

"There's some fresh fruit and vegan yogurt in there," Finn suddenly said.

Rachel paused and looked over her shoulder. "Really?"

Finn nodded his head. "I picked some up when I got some food yesterday. I just figured…"

A bright smile came to Rachel's lips as she practically danced over to him. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she leaned over and pressed a soft, loving kiss to his lips. Finn's hands came to rest on her waist, and he smiled when she pulled away.

"Thank you, Finn," Rachel said before she gave him another quick kiss.

"I can't have you starving, Rach," Finn said. But he knew how much this meant to her, and he was glad that he had done it. He loved seeing her this happy, and it was amazing to know that he was making her that happy.

She brought her hands up to cup his cheeks, her eyes soft. "I wish that there was something I could do to help," she said quietly.

It took Finn a moment to realize that she was talking about what happened the previous night. He sighed before he took her hand and tugged her on to his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and brushed his lips against her cheek.

"Rachel, you… When you came over here last night, I… Seeing you made everything better." His grip tightened on her, his fingers stroking her thigh lightly. "You already helped me."

Rachel bit her lip and rested her forehead against Finn's, closing her eyes. And in that moment, Rachel knew that she was way past just falling in love with Finn. She already loved him, wholly and completely.

She kissed him again, and Finn's face relaxed into a smile. In fact, his entire body relaxed under hers. He dropped kisses along the side of her neck before Rachel squeezed his hands and stood up.

"Still hungry?" she asked.

"I am," Finn admitted. He got up and went into the fridge, pulling out the yogurt and fruit. As Rachel fried his eggs and bacon, Finn set up her yogurt and fruit in a bowl. As he walked by her to get a spoon, Finn dropped a kiss to Rachel's cheek.

Oh yeah. There was no doubt about it. She loved him.

* * *

It was two days later that Rachel walked into a church with Finn, her hand securely tucked in his. He was dressed in his uniform and she was wearing a simple black dress. They made their way towards one of the pews in the back, and they settled into their seats.

After they had breakfast two days ago, Finn had told Rachel about the funeral for his coworker. Finn had quietly asked Rachel if she could go with him. Of course, Rachel had agreed. Finn had always been great at sensing other people's emotions and helping them. But when it came to himself, Rachel knew that he didn't want to appear vulnerable in front of anyone. It was a big step for Finn to ask Rachel to come with him, and she wanted to be there for him.

Quinn and Puck were also there, up at the front. But for once, neither Finn nor Rachel worried about anyone seeing them together. Finn just concentrated on the feel of Rachel's hand in his, or her head on his shoulder. Rachel just made sure that she was there for him in whatever way he needed her.

After the service, Finn and Rachel made their way up to the front to pay their respects. Finn paused for a moment to talk to a few of his coworkers. Rachel stood off to the side, and she couldn't keep her eyes off of him. A woman coming up on her other side caught her attention, however.

"You must be Finn's girlfriend," the woman said. Seeing the look of slight surprise on Rachel's face, she smiled and said, "Don't worry. Not a lot of people know."

"Oh." Rachel shook the woman's hand. "I'm Rachel."

"Shannon Beiste."

"You're Finn's chief," Rachel realized. "It's nice to meet you."

"Though I wish it was under better circumstances." They both turned to watch Finn. He was speaking quietly with a few other men and their families. As if he knew that Rachel was watching him, he turned and caught her eye. Finn gave her a small smile, and Rachel smiled at him in return.

"Does it ever get better?" Rachel asked Beiste.

"The worry?" When Rachel nodded her head, the older woman smiled sadly at her. "Not really." Putting a hand on Rachel's shoulder, Beiste continued. "But all you can do is continue to be there for him. Just like you're doing now."

Rachel smiled in return at the reassuring words. It wasn't long after Beiste walked away that Finn came back over to her. He took Rachel's hand and pulled her into his side, pressing a kiss to her temple. Rachel laced their fingers together and rested her head against his chest.

"Thank you," Finn whispered in her ear.

Rachel stood on her tiptoes to press a soft, loving kiss to Finn's lips. "Always, Finn."

* * *

**Author's Note: I really wanted to show Finn being vulnerable, and then Rachel being there for him. And I kind of wanted to touch on Finn's job as a firefighter, too. Thanks for reading!**


	14. my heart takes off

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of the amazing reviews! :) The flashback is in italics. This chapter title comes from "Falling In" by Lifehouse.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

_"Can I ask you a question?"_

_ Quinn looked up as Rachel came into her room. She rested her hands on her slightly protruding stomach and nodded her head at her sister. "Of course, Rachel."_

_ Rachel sat down next Quinn on the bed. She sighed before she blurted the first question she had been thinking: "Why did you do it?" When Quinn turned towards her sister, Rachel elaborated. "With Puck, I mean. Why did you lead Finn on for so long?"_

_ Quinn sighed and looked down at her hands. After a long moment, she finally said, "I think you've known how I felt about Puck for a long time."_

_ Rachel gave her a sympathetic look. "Well, I can't say that it was too hard to figure out."_

_ "And you didn't say anything?"_

_ "You were dating Finn, Quinn. I just… it wasn't my place." Rachel didn't want to add that she had been afraid that she would somehow reveal her crush on Finn. Thankfully, Quinn didn't allow Rachel to muse for very long._

_ "Right, right." Quinn sighed. "Well, you saw how my father reacted to Finn."_

_ "I didn't really understand it," Rachel said. "Finn seems wonderful."_

_ "And he is! He just wasn't wonderful for me. Puck… Puck has just always been the one." Quinn stood up and went over to the mirror and studied her reflection. She put her hands over her small bump once again and turned to the side. "Daddy wouldn't have liked Puck."_

_ Rachel's brow furrowed in confusion. "Russell didn't like Finn, either."_

_ "But he tolerated Finn," Quinn pointed out. "Finn has manners whereas Puck… doesn't."_

_ "Then do you mind me asking what you see in him? Obviously, you two are in love."_

_ Quinn smiled as she cradled her stomach. "Because Puck is secretly sweet. And he loves me so much. And he loves our baby. And I just know that he's the one for me." She sighed before she turned back towards Rachel, and a guilty look flashed across her face. "Puck and I went on a few dates before Finn asked me out. And I realized that I could hide my relationship with Puck behind the one with Finn. My father may not have been too fond of Finn, but he disliked Puck even more. We didn't mean for it to be a secret for as long as it was, but then it just… got too big."_

_ Rachel sighed and shook her head. She had no doubt that Finn would have understood Quinn and Puck's feelings for each other and would have gladly stepped aside. But what's done is done, and now everyone had to accept whatever was going to happen next._

_ Then Rachel smiled and reached over to take Quinn's hand. "At any rate, I'm happy for you and Puck." Borrowing a line from Kurt, Rachel added, "This baby is a blessing, remember? And as this baby's aunt, I will spoil him or her rotten."_

_ Quinn laughed and hugged her sister. And while Rachel may not have originally understood what Quinn's reasons were, but she did know that everything was going to turn out fine._

* * *

"Finn, I'm trying to finish these invitations."

"Are you?" Finn mumbled against her neck. "I hadn't really noticed." He dropped his mouth to the junction of her neck and shoulder and lightly bit down on it. He soothed the bite with his tongue as Rachel moaned.

"Finn, I'm going to ruin these if you keep doing this." She was trying to pretend like Finn's ministrations weren't getting her all hot and bothered, but she knew that she wasn't doing a very good job of it. She loved the way his lips and hands felt on her, and she ended up leaning further back into his chest.

Rachel was currently sitting at Finn's kitchen table in his apartment because Kurt and Santana had been driving her crazy. She was in charge of making the invitations for Quinn's wedding shower, and she hadn't been able to get it done with both Santana and Kurt bothering her. So Finn had invited her over so that she could get the invitations done, but it seemed as if he was going to distract her just as much.

Finn chuckled. "Ruin them? Baby, I highly doubt that."

Rachel knew that she was going to lose this fight. "But…" Rachel moaned again when Finn dragged his lips up to the sensitive spot behind her ear and gently nipped at it. "The invitations…"

Finn bit down again. "Leave them."

And that was all the encouragement that Rachel needed. She spun around in his arms and knotted her fingers in his hair and brought his mouth down to hers. She kissed him deeply, tugging lightly on his bottom lip. Finn groaned and slipped his hands under her shirt, bringing them up to cup her breasts. Rachel arched into his hands and smiled when he reached a hand behind her to unhook her bra.

Finn backed Rachel into his kitchen table and tugged her shirt over her head and slipped her bra from her arms. Massaging one breast with a large hand, he tugged on her other nipple with the other. Rachel moaned loudly and moved so that she was perched on the edge of the table. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him closer, rubbing herself against the hardness she could feel through his pants. Finn bucked his hips into hers, trailing his lips down from Rachel's and to her neck.

As he laid Rachel back on the table, his mouth closed around one of her nipples. Rachel gasped and tugged on his hair as Finn moved his mouth over to her other breast. He smirked against her skin when Rachel moaned out his name. He traced his tongue under the curve of her breast before he stood up and hooked his fingers in her jeans and underwear and tugged them off at the same time.

Finn ran his fingers through her already soaked folds and used his thumb to press against her sensitive bundle of nerves at the same time, and Rachel cried out. As his fingers moved between her legs, Rachel tugged Finn's mouth back up to hers and kissed him deeply. When she broke the kiss, she moved her lips across his jaw and over to his ear.

"I need you, Finn," Rachel murmured into his ear.

Finn slipped a finger inside of her and moved it slowly, tantalizing her with the pleasure. "Oh yeah?"

"_God_," Rachel gasped. "_Yes!_" She reached up to give him a scorching kiss and Finn groaned before he tugged her off the table. Rachel pushed his pants down and then wrapped her fingers around his hard length. Finn thrust his hips into her hand and pulled her closer.

"Condom," he growled, because he could only manage one-word sentences at the moment.

Rachel smiled up at him and kissed the corner of his mouth. "We don't need one."

Finn stared down at her to make sure that she was absolutely certain she wanted this. When Rachel nodded her head, Finn's eyes darkened even further and kissed her deeply before he guided her towards the kitchen counter. He turned her around, running his hand down her smooth back and around to her stomach, reaching up to cup her breast. Rachel gasped and arched against him, grounding her behind into his hardness.

Finn pressed kisses down her neck as he bent her forward. The kitchen counter was the perfect height for her to rest her hands on, and she gripped the end of it tightly. She looked over her shoulder and gave him a sultry smile, causing Finn to lean forward and kiss her neck. Holding onto her hips, Finn slipped into her and groaned as Rachel cried out again. He began to slowly thrust inside of her, teasing them both with the deliciously slow pace.

"_Finn!_" Rachel screamed. She gasped and pushed her hips back into his, digging her fingers into the counter. "More!"

Finn certainly wasn't going to question Rachel. Tightening his hands on her hips, he began to pound into her, causing Rachel to scream out his name repeatedly. His strokes were quick and deep, with Rachel rocking against him. It wasn't long before she was tightening around him, her body shuddering as she shattered in Finn's arms. Finn thrust into her twice more before he came as well.

Finn leaned forward and covered Rachel's body with his as they lay resting against the kitchen counter. As they both came down from their highs, Finn pressed several kisses to Rachel's shoulder. She practically purred in delight as his lips moved over her skin. Finn stroked his hand down her back as he stood up.

Rachel could feel the urge to tell Finn that she loved him surfacing again. But right after they had a seriously hot fuck bent over the kitchen counter probably wasn't the best time to do it. So she stood and turned around as Finn wrapped his arms around her. His amber eyes were soft as he gazed down at her and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

He brushed her hair away from her face. "You're amazing, Rachel Berry," he muttered.

"Oh really?" Rachel asked with a giggle.

Finn chuckled and picked up on the fact that she thought he was talking about what had just transpired in his kitchen. "That's not what I meant, although that was pretty amazing too." His eyes softened even further, and there was a look that Rachel couldn't quite read in them. He cupped her cheek and she leaned into his hand, smiling as his calloused thumb brushed against her skin. "You're all around amazing, Rachel Berry. Perfect, beautiful, talented, sexy, gorgeous, wonderful, kind… You're kind of my everything, Rachel."

She beamed at him and threw her arms around him, standing on her tiptoes to press her lips to his. She really did love him, with all of her heart. And when Rachel pulled back and looked over Finn's shoulder, she saw the pile of invitations that she still had write.

"Oh my God!" she groaned, pulling herself out of Finn's arms and plopped herself stark naked in his kitchen chair. She heard Finn dissolve into laughter behind her, and Rachel threw her pen at him. "It's not funny!" But even as she tried to scold him, Rachel couldn't stop the laughter from escaping her as well.

Finn moved over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against him again and kissing her before he offered her his t-shirt. She slipped it out with a smile and Finn pulled his boxers on.

"What do you say we order in?" he suggested. "We can eat and then I'll let you get these invitations done."

"Is Greek okay?" Rachel asked. "I've really been craving Greek food."

Finn pressed a kiss to her cheek as he reached for the phone. "Whatever you want, baby." But Rachel didn't know was that Finn meant that statement… in every way possible.

* * *

Rachel was laughing with Tina as she came out of the dressing room with Tina. They just had a great rehearsal. That, coupled with the night she had managed to spend with Finn, had Rachel in a fabulous mood. Really, nothing could bring her down.

"Hey, Rachel!" Will called before she and Tina could leave the theater. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

"Sure." Rachel made her way over to the director of the musical. "Is everything alright?"

"Oh, everything is fine. In fact, I have some very exciting news for you."

Rachel was trying not to get her hopes up. Of course, hearing that her director had exciting news for her immediately made her think that she could possibly be getting some sort of part. But she didn't want to jump to that conclusion right away.

"Well, Lydia has to take a two week break for family reasons." Lydia James was playing Maria in _West Side Story_. She was a Broadway veteran and had taken Rachel under her wing. "And as her understudy, you get to take over her role. So what do you say?"

Rachel was so excited that she actually forgot to speak. She could only clap her hands in excitement, causing Will to chuckle. Finally, she managed to remember her words.

"That sounds amazing, Mr. Schue!" Rachel exclaimed. "Amazing!" And in her excitement, she hugged her director tightly. The remainder of the cast that was still in theater gathered around them and applauded, congratulating Rachel on her new role.

She could only stand there and smile brightly. She was now another step closer to her dreams. She was finally getting the chance to perform in a leading role on Broadway.

* * *

"Kurt! Santana!" Rachel could barely contain her excitement on the cab ride back to her apartment, and she couldn't hold it in as she entered the living room. "I'm playing Maria in _West Side Story!_" It was then that she realized that Finn was sitting at the kitchen counter. "Oh! Hello, Finn!"

But Finn was grinning at her. Kurt had jumped up off his stool and had run towards her, shrieking loudly. He threw his arms around Rachel and hugged her tightly, jumping up and down. In the kitchen, Santana popped the cork on a bottle of champagne.

Kurt's shrieking eventually became words. "Oh my God! This is so exciting! We have to celebrate! Are you going to be Maria forever? Tell me that they've given you the part forever!"

Rachel laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. "Lydia is going on vacation, so I'll only have the part for two weeks. But it's a real starring role!"

"See, Berry?" Santana brought over a flute of champagne and handed it to Rachel. "I told you that a Broadway role wasn't far behind. Now drink up!"

Rachel made her way over to the kitchen counter and casually stood next to Finn. He took a sip of his own champagne and slipped his hand under her shirt, resting it on the small of her back so that no one could see. His calloused fingers stroked over her bare skin, and Rachel smiled at him. He winked at her before he held his glass up.

"To Rachel Berry and her long career as a Broadway star!" Finn toasted.

Rachel could only lean further into his hand. She really did love Finn Hudson.

* * *

**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Up next, someone else finds out about Finn and Rachel's relationship. Any guesses as to who it is?**


	15. you're all i want, you're all i need

**Author's Note: You guys are awesome, as always! Thanks for the reviews! This chapter title comes from "Everything" by Lifehouse.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Rachel lay back on the couch and threw her arm over her eyes. She yawned but couldn't keep the smile off of her lips as she thought about the past couple of days. Even though it had been crazy, she absolutely loved it. Rehearsing gave her such a thrill, and she couldn't wait for her opening night.

"Hello, my darling Diva!" Kurt greeted as he entered the living room from his bedroom. He patted Rachel's head before he went into the kitchen. "You look tired. Are you beat from rehearsal?"

"I'm _exhausted,_" Rachel told him. Then she sat up and beamed at him. "I love it!"

And it was true. Rachel had spent the past three days preparing for her debut as Maria, and Lydia had been helping her get ready for everything before she left. She had been having such a wonderful time with the rest of the cast. The rush she was getting from all of the work was absolutely amazing. Her fathers and most of her friends had already bought tickets for her opening night, which happened to be the next night. And she had managed to spend another night in Finn's apartment, as well. Things had been absolutely amazing as of late.

"We're all very excited for tomorrow," Kurt said. He nudged Rachel until she sat up and then sat next to her. "My father and Carole are coming down to see your show. And my brother is even going out to see it, and he never wants to see any type of show on Broadway!"

Rachel could feel her cheeks begin to heat up and she stood up, trying to hide the fact by going into the kitchen. As soon as Finn had heard about Rachel taking over the role for two weeks, he had immediately bought a ticket for opening night. They had been lucky that Burt and Carole had wanted to see Rachel in the show, as well, since it gave Finn an actual plausible excuse to go. He had been as excited to see Rachel on stage as she was to perform.

"Oh. Speaking of my brother, his birthday in in two days." Of course, Rachel knew that already. She had the perfect present all planned out for him. "Anyway, he's turning twenty-five, so I'm throwing him a fabulous party at a club. You and Santana are definitely invited, because I'm going to need someone to hang out with."

She had already heard Finn complaining about the fact that the party was going to be held in a club. Finn insisted that it wasn't really scene, but Kurt was relentless and wouldn't let it go until Finn agreed. Rachel was definitely planning on going to the party (and Finn had begged her to go), but she didn't want to seem too eager. "What day will the party be on?" she asked instead.

Kurt checked his phone before he answered her. "It will be on his actual birthday. Are you going to come?"

"Sure," Rachel said. "It sounds like fun!" She then proceeded to tune Kurt out as he began to talk about the plans he had for the rest of the party. Instead, she thought about the birthday night that she was planning for Finn as well.

Suddenly, something that Kurt said caused Rachel's attention to roar back to the conversation. "And it's my goal of the night to set Finn up with a girl."

"_What?_" Rachel blurted before she could stop herself. And then she tried to recover. "It seems like Finn is very happy right now. Why ruin it? And I thought you promised your stepmother that you would stop trying to bother him about it!"

Kurt gave her an incredulous look and ignored her statement about his stepmother. "Rachel, I am excellent at setting people up. Every couple that I've set up has worked out!"

Rachel shook her head. "No they haven't."

"Yes they have."

"Need I remind you of the fiasco of our junior year?"

"Oh." Kurt's cheeks turned bright red as he remembered the incident Rachel was talking about. "No, you don't. Fine. Your point is made." Then Kurt's face turned back to its normal complexion and he smirked. "And even though I promised Carole that I would stop meddling, I just can't let Finn be alone on his birthday. It will be in addition to the fabulous shirt that I got him for a present."

Rachel sighed and shook her head. Despite the fact that she desperately wanted to say something, she knew that it was best to just keep her mouth shut. She would inform Finn of Kurt's plan, and then she would probably have to stop him from maiming his younger brother.

"Anyway." Kurt clapped his hands. "I'm going to prepare us a wonderful dinner so that you can be well-rested for your big debut tomorrow."

Rachel closed her eyes as she lay back on the couch once again. This time, she was tired for an entirely different reason.

* * *

"No."

"Berry."

"No."

Santana pointed to the door of the dressing room. "Get in that dressing room and get ready for your show!" she commanded. "Stop freaking out, Rachel. You are you going to change into your costume, and then you're going to go on that stage and be fucking awesome."

"Okay." Rachel took a deep breath and nodded her head. "Okay. I'll see you after the show." Her minor panic attack now over (for the most part), Rachel disappeared into her dressing room. Santana sighed as she made her way back to the seats that had been reserved for all of Rachel's friends and family.

As soon as Kurt saw her, he immediately started to accost her with questions. "How is she? Is she okay? Is she almost ready?"

"Berry is getting ready right now," Santana said as she settled in her seat next to Brittany. "But she's kind of freaking out. She just needs to do those breathing exercise things that she always does."

It was then that Finn checked out of the conversation. If Rachel was freaking out, Finn wanted to go and make sure that she was okay. He knew that Rachel could handle herself, but he just wanted to see her before she went on stage. So he told everyone that he was just running to the bathroom, and then he talked to the security guy that Rachel told him about and managed to get backstage. He knocked on Rachel's door and opened it when he didn't get a response.

"Rach? Baby, are you okay?" It didn't take Finn very long to find Rachel huddled in a chair in front of her dressing room mirror. She was already in her costume, and she was chewing vehemently on her bottom lip as she stared at herself in the mirror.

"Finn!" Rachel turned around and gave him a look of surprise. "What are you doing in here?"

Finn shut the door behind him. He set aside the bouquet of pink tulips he had been hiding since coming into the theater so that Rachel couldn't see them. "Santana said that you were freaking out, so I thought that I'd come check on you."

Rachel's voice was suddenly higher than it normally was. "Freaking out? I'm not freaking out. I'm just a little bit worried right now. That's all."

"Worried?" Finn walked towards Rachel and stood behind her chair, resting his hands on her shoulders. "What are you worried about?"

"I'm just a little bit nervous. Everything is fine." Another few moments passed before Rachel said, "What if… What if I can't…"

"Stop." Finn kneeled down in front of Rachel and took her hands in his. "Stop it right now. In all the years that I've known you and all the stories that I've heard, you've never been afraid to get on stage. Don't let the fact that this time you'll be performing on a Broadway stage scare you. You're going to be _amazing_."

Rachel stared into Finn's eyes and felt herself becoming calmer. Despite her minor freak out, she knew that she was Rachel Barbara Berry. She was born to do this. It was just pre-preforming jitters, that's all. Finn's reassuring words, combined with the time she had to relax allowed Rachel to realize that she was going to be fantastic up on that stage.

Finn brought her hands up to his mouth, his amber eyes warm as he gazed it her. He kissed her fingers and then gave her that adorable half smile. "I love you."

Rachel's lips parted in surprise. But Finn just continued to smile at her. Rachel's own face broke out into a beaming grin and she tightened her fingers around Finn's hands. Sliding off the chair, she kneeled in front of him.

"I love you too, Finn," she whispered. Then she surged up to kiss him deeply, curling her fingers into his suit jacket. Finn held her close and when the kiss broke, he trailed kisses down from her temple and to her jaw. He reached behind him and pulled the flowers forward, holding them out for Rachel to see.

"These are for you," Finn said.

Rachel couldn't stop beaming as she accepted the flowers from him. She held them to her face and inhaled the sweet scent before she kissed Finn's cheek. "Pink tulips are my favorite."

Finn cupped her cheek and smiled when she leaned into his hand. "I know." He stood and then offered his hand to help Rachel stand as well. He watched as she arranged the flowers in a vase before he tugged her forward and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you after the show. You're going to be amazing, baby."

Just as Finn was walking out of the dressing room, Rachel called after him, "I love you, Finn!"

Finn grinned at her. "Love you too, Rach." He made his way back to their seats and sat down between his mother and Kurt. As soon as he sat down, Puck started in on him.

"Hudson, where the hell were you?" he demanded. "You were gone forever."

Finn shrugged his shoulders. "There was a line."

All the lights in the theater darkened then, so it kept Puck from asking anymore questions. But it wasn't long before Finn's phone was buzzing in his pocket. At the risk of incurring the wrath of his mother and brother, Finn tried to secretly check his phone.

Unsurprisingly, it was a text from Puck. Finn looked over at him, but he was talking to Quinn as if he hadn't sent a text. With a sigh, Finn opened the text message and then promptly choked on the air he was breathing.

"_Dude, you are so obvious._"

"Finny, are you okay?" Carole asked. She patted her son on the back as he coughed. This time, when he looked over at Puck, he saw that he was smirking. Finn narrowed his eyes at his friend as he recovered, but Puck simply turned towards the stage as the show started.

Finn quickly forgot Puck's comments as Rachel came onto the stage. He was instantly mesmerized by her and her beautiful voice. She truly was a shining star up on that stage, and Finn couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Eventually, intermission rolled around. Finn was actually trying to figure out how he could get backstage to see Rachel again when Puck hit him on the back of the head. Finn turned to glare at him, but then Puck jutted his head towards the entrance. Finn sighed as he stood up and followed Puck out. He supposed that there would be no avoiding this discussion.

"Dude," Puck said as soon as they were far enough away from everyone else. "Seriously. I can't even handle how obvious you are."

Finn sighed again. At this point, there was really no use in denying anything. It seemed as if Puck had known that Finn and Rachel had feelings for each other all along. His suspicions were confirmed when Puck smirked at him and nodded his head.

"Don't even try to deny it," Puck continued. "As soon as I saw the two of you at the lunch with Quinn and her other bridesmaids, I knew that you finally grew some balls and owned up to your feelings for Berry."

Now it was Finn's turn to smirk. "Yeah? My feelings?"

Puck glared at him and shoved his shoulder. "Fuck you, man. You know what I mean. My point is, you and Berry couldn't be more obvious if you tried."

"Kurt doesn't know," Finn pointed out.

"That's because Lady Petunia lives on his own planet."

"Santana doesn't know."

Puck snorted. "Hudson, if Santana doesn't know already, she's very close to finding out. You're not very bright if you think that she's not going to hold it over you."

Well, as far as Finn knew, Santana hadn't said anything. And if she hadn't said anything, then Finn was going to assume that Santana was none the wiser to his and Rachel's relationship. It was just easier that way. "Quinn doesn't know."

"That's because she's caught up in planning the wedding."

Puck did have a point with that. Finally, Finn ran a hand through his hair. "Look, man. Rachel and I were planning on telling everyone after the wedding."

Puck held his hands up. "I won't say anything. I just wanted to point out that you two are really fucking unsubtle. You might want to work on that."

Finn rolled his eyes before he looked back at Puck. "How did you know, anyway?"

Finally, Puck cracked a real smile. "This is the first time that I've seen either you or Berry really, truly happy. And it happened at the same time. I knew that you always had a thing for her, and she always had a secret crush on you, so it didn't take much for me to put two and two together. And…" He shrugged his shoulders. "We used to be best friends, once."

Finn studied Puck for a long moment before he reached over and clapped him on the shoulder. Their friendship may not have been what it used to be, but Finn could see that when it really mattered, he could always count on Puck. And they were both with people they truly loved and were happy with their lives.

The intermission was over, and Puck and Finn returned to their seats. Rachel came back onto the stage, and Finn spent the rest of the show marveling over how amazing his girlfriend was. When the show was over, Rachel got a standing ovation. And Finn was clapping and cheering harder than anyone.

* * *

**Author's Note: So Puck officially knows now (I guess it was more of Puck telling Finn that he knew, as opposed to Puck finding out). The guesses on who would be the next to find out was pretty evenly split between Kurt, Santana, and Puck. And Finn and Rachel love each other! Yay! :) **


	16. you've got my head spinning

**Author's Note: As always, thanks for all of the amazing reviews! This chapter titles comes from "You and Me" by Lifehouse.**

**On a completely unrelated note, I now have a Twitter account! Please feel free to follow me at myeverydayff. You can ask me questions about stories or just talk to me or whatever. :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

"I don't wanna go."

Rachel laughed as she ran her fingers through her bangs to make sure that they were sitting right. She was finishing getting ready for Finn's party in the bathroom while Finn was lying on his bed back in his bedroom. As far as everyone else knew, Rachel was still at work and would meet them at the club later. Finn, on the other hand, was just trying to delay going as much as he possibly could.

Rachel applied some lip gloss and smoothed it over her lips, making sure that it was applied evenly. "Finn, your brother spent a lot of time planning this wonderful party for your birthday. You're going to go, and you're going to have fun."

"I think wonderful might be the wrong word to describe it," Finn grumbled. Then he groaned and covered his eyes with his hands. "Do we have to go?" he asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. Clubs really weren't his sort of place, and Kurt knew that.

Rachel stepped out of the bathroom and put her hands on her hips. "Yes, we have to go. Now get up, or you won't be getting your birthday present."

Finn pulled his hands away from his face and sat up. When he caught sight of his girlfriend, however, his jaw promptly dropped open. He stood up and walked over to Rachel until he was standing right in front of her.

She was wearing a short black dress with one thick strap over her left shoulder. It hugged her body, showing all of her curves. Her hair was swept up off her shoulders into a sleek ponytail, and she had strappy black heels on her feet. Finn could only stare at her.

Finally, he managed to find his words. "I change my mind." He wrapped his arms around Rachel's waist and pulled her against him, grinding his hips into hers. "We're just going to stay here and celebrate my birthday. Preferably without any clothes on."

Rachel giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips to his and let him deepen the kiss. When they broke apart, Rachel patted his cheek. "As wonderful as that sounds, we have to go to the party."

Finn sighed and bent to kiss her again. "Fine."

Rachel slipped out of Finn's arms and playfully patted his behind before she walked into his living room. "Luckily for you, we have just enough time for me to give you your birthday present."

Childlike excitement lit up Finn's face as he followed Rachel into the living room. Rachel could only smile at the look on his face as she searched through her purse and pulled out an envelope. She handed it to Finn and bit her lip as she waited for him to open it.

Finn pulled out a card that had a cute picture of a firehouse and a dog on it. Finn looked up briefly to smile at her, because it was definitely something that Rachel would pick. When he opened the card, he was surprised to see that it held two plane tickets to Ohio. Behind it, the card held a cute little saying and Rachel had sighed it, "Love, Rachel."

"Rachel." Finn looked up at her with wide eyes. "Plane tickets?"

Rachel nodded her head. "I just… Kurt mentioned that you haven't been able to visit home in a while. I know that you have a long weekend coming up, and I know that you miss you mom and your stepfather, so I thought that…"

Before Rachel could finish, Finn had pulled her into his arms and embraced her tightly. When he pulled away, he bent to press kisses all over Rachel's face.

"Rach, this is perfect!" he exclaimed. "Thank you!"

Rachel beamed, glad that Finn loved his present so much. "You can do whatever you want with the second ticket," she said. "You can bring Kurt, or you can exchange the ticket and use it for another time." Rachel was really hoping that Finn was going to take her, but she didn't want to make him feel obligated, or anything.

Finn gave her an easy smile and squeezed his arm around her waist. "Rachel, I love you. Will you come to Ohio with me?"

Rachel squealed and stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Of course I will!"

Excited at the prospect of going on their first vacation as a couple together, Finn bent to press a sweet, tender kiss to Rachel's lips. When he pulled away, he asked, "Do we really have to go? Now I really want to stay here in my bed. And like I said before, without any clothes. But I'll let you keep the shoes on."

Rachel laughed. "Later tonight," she promised.

As she gathered up her jacket and purse, Finn pointed at her. "I'm going to hold you to that!"

* * *

As they stepped into the club and removed their jackets, Finn noticed how nearly every male in the vicinity turned to check Rachel out. Finn's eyes instantly narrowed into a dark glare that he leveled at each and every one of those guys. He was pleased to see when most of them turned away, immediately intimidated by Finn.

"What's that look for?" Rachel asked as she turned to Finn.

Finn glared at another guy that was leering at Rachel. "Remember when you said that I would get jealous if another guy tried to hit on you?"

Rachel tried to hide the smile forming on her lips by pressing them together. "Yes…"

"Well, it's happening."

"Aw, baby." Now Rachel couldn't stop herself from laughing. At least she understood how Finn felt the last time she was freaking out about Gwen. It actually was kind of amusing (and very cute), since Finn had nothing to worry about at all. She reached up and patted his cheek before she twined her arms around his neck and pulled him close for a kiss. "You know you have nothing to worry about, right?"

It didn't escape Finn that she was using the very words he had said to her a few weeks ago. "Very funny," he grumbled.

"Come on." Rachel took Finn's hand and squeezed. "It's your birthday! You should be having fun, remember?"

Finn sighed before he smiled down at his girlfriend. She was right. He squeezed her hand in return and brought it up to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it. "I love you," he said.

Rachel gave him a beaming smile and kissed him sweetly. She couldn't get enough of hearing Finn say those three words, and she wanted to say them back to him just as badly. "I love you too, Finn." And with that, they pushed their way through the crowds until they found their group. Immediately, everyone turned towards Finn and exclaimed, "Happy birthday, Finn!"

Finn smiled as he greeted everyone. By some miracle, Kurt had managed to get them a booth. And by another stroke of luck, the only two seats there were open were next to each other. So Finn and Rachel slid into those empty seats. And if they sat a little closer than necessary, well, it was because the booth was so small.

"Do I at least get cake?" Finn asked Kurt.

Kurt gave his brother an incredulous look. "We are in a club, Finn. Tell me, where is there a place for me to bring a cake?"

Finn's brow furrowed as he pouted. Rachel bit her lip and resisted the urge to kiss it off his face as she took her phone out and texted a message to Finn. A few moments passed before Finn checked it, and he grinned when he saw that Rachel sent a text that said she had some cake waiting back at the apartment for him.

Finn slid his hand over Rachel's knee and stroked up her leg, feeling the softness of her skin. He smiled over at her and then had to hold back a hiss of pain when he felt someone kick him (hard) under the table. He looked up to find Puck smirking at him, and then his phone buzzed again with another text message.

"_Stop eye-fucking Berry for two seconds. You're even more obvious then you were before._"

Finn looked up to glare at him, and Puck just made a discreet and very inappropriate hand gesture. But then Finn chuckled when he noticed Rachel making a face at him, as well. It was then that the round of drinks Kurt pre-ordered arrived at the table. They toasted Finn's birthday and then Kurt immediately got up to dance. Before anyone else could follow him, three people appeared in front of the table.

It took Rachel a few moments and a dark hiss from Santana to realize that it was the rest of Quinn's bridesmaids. Her eyes instantly narrowed into a glare, causing Finn to look down at her in concern. When he realized that Gwen, Aubrey, and Tiffany were standing at their table he bit back and groaned and squeezed Rachel's knee in an attempt to get her to relax. He so didn't want to deal with them tonight.

"What are you girls doing here?" Quinn exclaimed.

"We just wanted to go out tonight," Aubrey said.

Gwen laughed. "But we had no idea that you would all be here!"

On the other side of Rachel, Santana snorted. "Yeah right. I bet Quinn slipped up and spilled the beans during one of her little bridesmaid meetings."

Rachel just pressed her lips together in response. Her glare darkened further when Quinn said, "It's Finn's birthday today!"

"Oh!" Naturally, Gwen was the first to speak. "Happy birthday, Finn!"

Finn just smiled politely at the three girls and nodded his head. Under the table, he took Rachel's hand in his own and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. To Finn's relief, she turned her hand over and laced their fingers together. She didn't stop glaring at the unwanted newcomers, however. Finn certainly didn't blame her, either.

"Do you have anything special planned for tonight?" Tiffany asked. And then she looked at Gwen, obviously encouraging Finn to talk to her. Finn wanted nothing more than to take Rachel and slip out of the booth, but Gwen and her little minions were blocking his way out.

Instead, Finn just squeezed Rachel's hand under the table. "I'm spending it with people I care about," he said. And it was a subtle dig towards the three girls when Finn made it clear that it didn't include them.

Puck looked between all of them before he sighed and rolled his eyes. He didn't really care for Quinn's friends from school, either. And he was tired of just sitting at the table, so he stood up from the booth and pulled Quinn out with him.

"Let's dance," he stated. "We're in a fucking club, so we might as well."

"Sounds like a good idea," Finn said. Even though he hated dancing, he would do anything to get away. Getting a sudden idea, he gently and discreetly pushed on Rachel's back as they moved their way through the people on the dance floor. It was so crowded that it didn't take them long to get separated from everyone else. Finn finally stopped and allowed Rachel to turn around when they were well away from anyone they recognized.

Rachel almost had to yell to be heard above the thumping music. "Finn! What are we doing?"

Finn ducked down so that he could speak into her ear. "I just figured you'd like to get away."

With a beam, Rachel reached up to kiss his cheek. The song changed to another fast-paced dance mix, and Rachel turned around in Finn's arms. Taking his hands, she settled them on her waist as she began to roll her hips to the beat of the song.

"Rach," Finn said into her ear as he repeated the question she had just asked him. "What are you doing?"

Rachel looked over her shoulder and gave him a coy smile. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm dancing."

Oh yeah. Finn could definitely see that she was dancing. "You know I don't dance," he mumbled. But even as he spoke, his hands tightened on her hips and pulled her closer to his body. He may have been the worst dancer, but he certainly didn't mind following Rachel's lead.

In response to Finn's statement, Rachel just ground her hips harder against him. She tilted her head back against his shoulder as she moved to the beat of the music. Finn suddenly felt much hotter, and it wasn't because of the people crowded around them.

Meanwhile, in Finn's arms, Rachel was getting all hot and bothered. She loved the feel of his body against hers, his cheek pressed against hers as they moved together. And Finn's hands weren't straying any further than her waist, but she still wanted him so bad. Rachel wanted his hands all over her body, and she didn't want to wait.

Rachel spun around and wrapped her arms around Finn's neck, pulling him down to kiss her deeply. He kept one arm wrapped around Rachel's waist and threaded his other hand into her hair, tilting her head to deepen the kiss further.

When they broke apart, Rachel didn't waste any time in grabbing Finn's hand and towing him towards the back, where the bathrooms where. Finn didn't even question where they were going until they were safely in the empty bathroom, already locked in one of the stalls.

"Rachel," Finn said. But he couldn't think of anything else to add. He definitely wanted to do this, and Rachel wanted to do this so… And then Finn truly lost all ability to speak when Rachel quickly unbuttoned his pants, pulled his already hardening length out from his boxers, dropped to her knees, and swirled her tongue around the tip.

His fingers immediately sank into her sleek ponytail as he let out a groan. Rachel smiled up at him before she ran her tongue down his cock and then her lips closed around him, sliding down. Finn's head fell back against the stall.

"_Fuck,_" he breathed out. He felt himself hit the back of her throat, and Finn let out a growl. He gently pulled her away from him and lifted her up into his arms, turning and pressing her against the stall. He pushed up her dress, bunching it at her hips, and let out a choked groan when he saw that she wasn't wearing any underwear.

"Did you come here like that?" he demanded as he slid his fingers through her soaked folds. He sank two fingers into her, and Rachel moaned as she gripped his shoulders. She nodded her head, unable to speak due to the feelings coursing through her.

"Finn," she whined, bucking her hips against his hand. She wanted him inside of her, and she wanted him now. Getting the hint, Finn pulled his hand away and shifted, sliding into her easily. Rachel gasped and Finn's head fell forward, resting against her shoulder as he began to move inside of her.

Rachel bit down hard on her bottom lip in order to keep from crying out as her hips rocked against his. She was already so close, and she nearly screamed when Finn dropped his hand between them and circled his thumb over her most sensitive spot. He bit down on her shoulder, muffling his groans against her skin as Rachel tightened around him. Two thrusts later and Finn was joining her in orgasm, holding her tightly.

The stayed like that for several long moments, trying to recover. Eventually, Finn stepped back from Rachel and gently set her down, pulling her forward to place a soft kiss on her forehead.

"That was fucking hot, babe," he told her.

Rachel smirked at him and pulled her dress down, making sure that she was properly covered. "I take it that you liked the second part of your birthday present, then."

Finn's mouth fell open. "Second part? You _planned_ this?"

Rachel held her hands out. "Surprise!"

Finn pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. "I love you so much, Rachel." He quickly pulled his jeans back up and buttoned them. "And I would like it if we went home, now."

A warm feeling spread through Rachel's chest when Finn said home, as if it were a place where they lived together. She took his hand and squeezed it, giving him a beaming smile. She quickly checked to make sure that no one could see Finn coming out of the bathroom with her before they left.

Finn's pulled her to a halt before they could go to the table. "Wait a second," he said. Turning her towards him, he ran his fingers over her shoulder, where he had bitten her. "Oops."

Rachel looked and saw the large mark that Finn had left there. There was really no way to hide it, since her dress completely exposed her shoulder. And her hair was a complete mess as well, due to Finn's hands. She stared at the mark for another moment before she began to laugh, causing Finn to chuckle as well.

Before either of them could comment further on it, Puck appeared. "Where the fuck have the two of you been? I've—" He stopped abruptly when he took in Finn and Rachel's disheveled appearance, and then he smirked. "Oh. I see. Giving Finn a little birthday present, were you, Berry?"

Rachel's cheeks flushed bright red. "Not another word, Noah," she said. Finn had told her all about how Puck knew about her and Finn's relationship. And really, she couldn't be anything other than happy that Finn was getting his best friend back.

"We actually wanted to get home," Finn said.

Puck smiled and then produced Finn and Rachel's jackets. "I figured that was the case when you and Berry disappeared. Get out of here. I'll cover for you guys."

Rachel hugged Puck and Finn clapped him on the shoulder before they pulled their jackets on and left the club. Finn took Rachel's hand as they waited by the curb for a cab.

"So…" he finally said. "Cake?"

Rachel laughed. "It's all ready to go. I managed to sneak it into my fridge after Kurt and Santana left for work."

Finn kissed her as the taxi pulled up. "I love you," he told her as they got in.

Rachel squeezed his hand. "Happy birthday, Finn."

* * *

**Author's Note: Yup. Smutty jealous possessive bathroom birthday sex. Not the same as slutty wedding sex, but that will come eventually. And so will the trip to Ohio. :) Anyway, since school has (finally) started up again, I'll be going back to updating every five days. Expect the next one to come on February 2nd. Thanks for reading!**


	17. feel this real forever

**Author's Note: Over 400 reviews? You guys are amazing! Thank you so much! This chapter title comes from "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Rachel rolled over and settled so that she was resting on Finn's chest. He lifted a hand and stroked her hair back, smiling sleepily at her. It was late in the morning and neither of them had to go to work, so they were just lounging around in bed.

Finn reached up to kiss her, and Rachel pulled away. "Morning breath," she reminded him, but Finn just shook his head and grinned at her, his dimple appearing in his cheek.

"Don't care," he said in response. And he twisted his fingers in her hair and pulled her down to kiss him. His lips moved slowly over hers, and Rachel didn't think she had even been more thoroughly kissed in her entire life.

She rested against his chest once again, tilting her face to look up at him. The sun was peeking through the curtains, highlighting his jaw and slope of his nose, and she took a moment to marvel over how handsome he was. And it seemed as if Finn was thinking along the same lines as her.

"You're beautiful," Finn whispered. And she was. Her face was completely clean of makeup, and her hair was messy and tangled around her shoulders. She had the imprint of her pillow on her cheek and the sheet had fallen down around her waist. He thought that he had never seen her look more beautiful.

Rachel smiled and pressed up, leaning over to kiss Finn. The kiss started slow and languid, and then Finn was gently rolling Rachel underneath him. His lips never left hers as he ran a hand down her naked body, stroking teasingly. He moved slowly, as if he had all the time in the world.

Finn continued to kiss down her throat slowly, gently nipping and sucking. He kissed over to her shoulder, where he gently kissed the area he had marked the night before. Rachel could only clutch at the sheets underneath her as Finn's lips continued downward.

He kissed around the curve of her breast as he slowly massaged the other one. His tongue circled her nipple before his lips closed around it. Rachel moaned, locking her fingers in his hair and holding him to her chest. Eventually, he slowly kissed over to her other breast and gave that one the same treatment.

Finn kissed further down Rachel's stomach. His tongue dipped into her belly button, his hands holding on her hips as she writhed underneath him. He kissed down to her hip and gently bit down, sucking until he left a mark.

"_Finn,_" Rachel gasped. "_Please._" He was teasing and moving so slowly, and Rachel felt like she was about to go up in flames. She felt Finn smirk against her hip before he slowly kissed back up her body, dragging his tongue between the valley of her breasts. He kissed her again, taking her hands and pressing them into the mattress above her head.

Rachel's legs parted and Finn settled between them. Looking into her eyes, Finn kissed her again before he murmured, "I love you, Rachel." Then he slipped into her and she cried out, clutching at his shoulders.

"Oh, God!" Rachel cried out. "I love you too." Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him closer and deeper. "So much."

Finn kissed her deeply, his hands tightening around hers. "Forever," he groaned, his thrusts becoming more erratic.

"Forever," Rachel agreed. She arched against him, her hips rocking to match his every movement. Rachel scratched down his back, her nails digging into his shoulders as she began to fall apart underneath him. She cried out again and then kissed him deeply as Finn followed her over the edge. He spilled hotly into her, closing his eyes and pressing his face into her shoulder.

Finn rolled over onto his back and Rachel went with him. He pressed several gentle kisses to shoulder, and Rachel smiled. "That was… amazing," she whispered. "I wish I could come up with a better word for it, but my brain isn't quite working at the moment."

Finn chuckled. "I think amazing sums it up okay." He watched as Rachel sat up and stretched, his eyes darkening as he looked at her naked form. She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him before she reached over the side of the bed and fished Finn's button-down shirt last night from their pile of clothes.

"Ready to get something to eat?" she asked.

"You know me so well," Finn said as he found his boxers and pulled them on. He drew Rachel against him and swept her hair aside to kiss the side of her neck. "Cake for breakfast?"

"Finn!" Rachel admonished. "Cake is not a suitable option for breakfast. And it's closer to lunch time, anyway."

"So cake for lunch, then."

Laughing, Rachel made her way out of her bedroom and into the kitchen. Finn followed her, humming a song from _Journey_. Rachel watched him with a smile as she reheated some stir fry leftovers.

"Smells good, baby," Finn said. "Not as good as the cake we had last night, but..."

Rachel laughed and playfully pushed at his shoulder. "Alright, I get it. We'll have cake after lunch."

Finn spun her around and brought his lips down over hers, kissing her gently. Rachel brought her hands up to lock in his hair, pulling him closer to her and deepening the kiss. She could feel Finn smiling against her lips before his hands wrapped around her waist and lifted her onto the counter.

His hands smoothed up her thighs and Rachel parted her legs, allowing him to step between them. Rachel kissed down to his jaw and pulled his earlobe between her teeth, tugging gently. Finn slipped his fingers between her legs and ran them up her slit.

Just as Rachel moaned, they heard a loud knocking on the front door. "Yo! Berry! Let us in! I forgot my key and Lady Hummel left his at Blaine's apartment!"

Rachel froze and stared at the door with wide eyes. Finn's mouth dropped open, and the only thing that either he or Rachel could was stare at the front door in complete horror as Santana continue to bang on it.

"Come on, Rachel!" Kurt called. "I'm hungry and I'm wearing the same clothes from the night before. That's a complete travesty!"

"Oh my God," Rachel finally managed. "Oh my God! What are we going to do?"

"Fire escape!" Finn suddenly blurted. Being as freaked out and caught off guard as they were, all Finn and Rachel could think about was not getting caught. "I can leave by the fire escape!"

"I'm wearing your shirt!" Rachel suddenly remembered. "I have to change!"

Finn helped Rachel off the counter, and they almost tripped over each other in their haste to get back to Rachel's room. Finn hastily pulled on his jeans and undershirt. Rachel tore off his shirt and tossed it to Finn before she pulled on a set of pajamas. She kissed Finn goodbye before he ran over to her window and climbed out the fire escape.

Rachel ran back towards the door and tried to make it look like she hadn't just made love and was still coming back to earth because of it. She took a deep breath before she opened the door, revealing her two very annoyed roommates.

"Thanks for taking forever, midget," Santana grumbled as she stalked past Rachel. "It's not like I'm getting any younger."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "She's mad because she didn't get any sleep last night."

Santana poked her head out of her bedroom and smirked. "Well, neither of you would have gotten any sleep last night if you had been doing what I had been doing."

"Not that it's any of your business, but Blaine and I had a wonderful time last night," Kurt said.

"Way to go, Lady Hummel." Santana threw a pillow from her room at Rachel. She dodged it with a scowl as Santana continued speaking. "Rachel, it looks like you're the only one not getting any ass. I was with my girl Brits and Kurt was with the Hobbit. Did you just come back here last night?"

Of course, Rachel wasn't about to share that she had been up well into the early morning hours, spending time with Finn. She was just glad that neither of them had suspected anything. Rachel just shrugged her shoulders as she leaned against the counter.

"I just had a quiet night," Rachel said pleasantly. But she had to bite back a smile, because her night had been far from quiet.

"Whatever, Berry," Santana said flippantly. "You need to get laid." Then she promptly disappeared into her bathroom and started to sing loudly in Spanish. Kurt and Rachel both smiled before he turned to her.

"Why did it take you so long to answer the door?" Kurt asked curiously.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders and turned to get the stir fry she had been reheating out of the microwave. She really wished that Finn could be there to share it with her, but he had to have been back at his apartment by now.

"I was still sleeping," Rachel said instead. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay. We just wanted to make sure that you were feeling okay. Puckerman said that you weren't feeling well last night, and that's why you had to leave early." Kurt squeezed Rachel's arm, and she felt bad for leaving and lying to him like that. But she didn't regret the wonderful night she had spent with Finn. She would never regret anything she did with him.

"Yes, I had a stomach ache last night, but I'm alright now," Rachel said as she squeezed Kurt's arm in return. "How was the rest of the party?"

Kurt shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, you didn't miss much. Puckerman said that Finn got a call from work and had to go fill out a report or something. We didn't stay for much longer after that." He scowled and then said, "I didn't even get a chance to find a girl for Finn last night."

"I'm sure it was okay," Rachel said. She wasn't about to let on that she was secretly pleased about that fact. And she certainly wasn't going to let Kurt know that she had kept Finn distracted for the majority of the party. "It looked like Finn really enjoyed the party."

Kurt scowled. "It didn't seem that way when Gwen showed up. Now I know why you don't like her so much. She's quite annoying."

Rachel's brow furrowed into a dark glare. "Why does she have to try and stick her nose in everything?"

"I'm pretty sure that she was trying to get with Finn all night. And she is _so_ not my first pick for him." He gave her a sly look that Rachel chose not to read into. After Finn and Quinn broke up three years ago, Kurt had pretty much stopped mentioning Rachel's crush on Finn. She wasn't about to give him a reason to bring it up again—especially since she was secretly dating Finn.

Rachel managed a tight smile and tried to change the subject from setting Finn up (Finn, for his part, had been ready to rip Kurt a new one when he found out about his brother's plan. Rachel had managed to talk him out of it). "Other than that, it seemed like he enjoyed the party."

"He did," Kurt said as he finally smiled. "And my streak of successful party planning continues. Well, I'm off to take a nap. Roommate dinner and movie later tonight?"

"Sounds good!"

* * *

Right before movie night started, Kurt decided that he was going to wash his sheets and asked Santana and Rachel if they wanted theirs washed, as well. Both said yes and set the movie up as they waited for Kurt to join them.

They heard a surprised shriek come from by the washer and dryer in the back of the apartment before Kurt stalked out, holding Rachel's light pink sheets up.

"Rachel Barbra Berry, _what_ is this disgusting substance you have all over your sheets?" he demanded.

Rachel blanched as she realized there was chocolate icing smeared all over the bed sheet. After they had each had a slice of cake the night before, Finn had decided to have some R-rated fun with the cake in Rachel's bedroom. He had used the icing and painted it all over Rachel's body before licking it off (not to mention the turn she had with the icing on Finn, as well), and she felt her cheeks heat up at the memory.

Honestly, she couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed how it had gotten everywhere. "I just made some cake last night," Rachel said as she tried to figure out how she could work around this situation.

"And you got icing all over your bed sheets? How does that even happen?" Santana said with a laugh.

"I had a small piece earlier, and I was watching a movie in my room. I accidentally dropped it." Eventually, she was going to lose track of all these lies, and Rachel wasn't really looking forward to that moment. She was relieved that there was a little less than a month until the wedding.

Kurt shook his head. "I can't believe that you are such a messy eater, Miss Berry. Lucky for you, I have a fool proof way of getting stains such as these out. I can still save these sheets."

Rachel smiled at her friend. "Thank you, Kurt!"

It wasn't long before Kurt came back into the living room and Santana started the movie. When both of her roommates were completely distracted, Rachel took her phone out and texted Finn.

"_Your little art project with the cake yesterday left some very noticeable evidence._"

It wasn't long before she got a text message back. All it said was, "_Oops._"

Rachel could only smile and shake her head. She couldn't even be angry, because she loved all of it. And she loved him.

But that didn't mean that she couldn't make him squirm for a little bit.

* * *

Rachel jumped when she felt a pair of arms slide around her waist. As far as she knew, she was alone in her apartment. But she knew right away that it was Finn, and she bit her lip to hide her smile.

"Are you still mad at me?" he murmured as he dropped a kiss to the side of her neck.

Rachel just shrugged her shoulders as she continued folding her laundry. Finn trailed kisses up from her neck to her cheek and pulled her closer.

"Kurt and Santana didn't find out, did they?"

Rachel shook her head. "No, they didn't." She was glad that he couldn't see her face, because she was free to smile. If he turned her around, she was going to have to call on her acting skills. It appeared that she couldn't stay mad at Finn for very long.

"Did the stain come out of the sheets?"

"Not all the way."

"Aw, I'm sorry baby. Do you need me to buy you a new set of sheets?"

"That's okay, Finn."

"Well, how about we get ready to go to Ohio, then?"

That got Rachel's attention immediately and she turned around in Finn's arms, forgetting that she was pretending to be angry with him. "Really?" she squealed.

Finn chuckled and kissed her forehead. "If you can swing it, I was hoping that we could go this weekend." Pulling back, he looked into her eyes and took her hands. "I want to tell my mom about us."

"Really?" Rachel repeated, this time in a much softer voice.

Finn kissed her hands. "Really. What do you say?"

"I say that sounds amazing. Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. I love you, Rachel." Finn pulled her close and kissed her. When he pulled away, he smirked down at her. "You weren't actually mad at me, were you?"

"Hmmm. My sheets were very messy, Finn Hudson. I had to come up with a lie on the spot."

Finn gave her that charming half smile that he knew she couldn't resist. "Well, I'll just have to make it up to you, then."

Rachel allowed him to kiss her again. "I'm looking forward to it."

* * *

**Author's Note: I couldn't resist a chapter of Finchel fluff. And so the next chapter will be the trip to Ohio. :) And two other people officially find out about their relationship, although I'm sure that you can all guess who it is. Thanks for reading!**


	18. hold back your fear

**Author's Note: Still amazed at how much support this story is getting. You guys are awesome! The flashback is in italics. This chapter title comes from "Before It's Too Late" by the Goo Goo Dolls.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

_Rachel grumbled darkly to herself as she viciously slid the spatula under the cookies she had just baked and deposited them on the serving platter. She was so caught up in her mutterings that she didn't notice the back door open and close._

_ "What did those cookies ever do to you?"_

_ Rachel jumped and spun around, only to find Finn standing behind her. He was holding a bouquet of pretty wildflowers and giving her that wonderful half smile. Rachel felt her heartbeat increase as she smiled at him in return._

_ "Nothing," Rachel said. "I'm just… I'm a little frustrated, that's all."_

_ Finn leaned against the kitchen table and watched as Rachel began to arrange the cookies on the platter. She had been baking all day long for her mother and stepfather's annual end of summer cookout. Rachel now only had two weeks until she would be starting her sophomore year, and she couldn't wait._

_ "Do you want to talk about it?" Finn offered._

_ Rachel looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a small smile before she turned back to the food. "It's nothing, really. Quinn was just supposed to be helping me bake, but she ripped her dress or something and has been out shopping all day for a new one and—" She stopped abruptly when she realized that she was, in fact, speaking to Quinn's boyfriend. "Oops. I'm sorry."_

_ Finn chuckled. "It's okay, Rach." He stepped closer to her and set the flowers aside, and Rachel knew that he had gotten them for her mother. He was always so chivalrous._

"_But you don't need to hear me complain about Quinn," Rachel said with a sigh._

_Finn came to stand next to her. "Trust me, I understand how annoying siblings can be sometimes. Kurt is my brother, remember? He's always ragging on me for what I wear." Rachel laughed and Finn smiled in return. He watched her arrange the cookies for a moment before he said, "Can I do anything to help?"_

_ "Finn, you don't have to—"_

_ "It's the least I could do." And without waiting for a response from Rachel, Finn started removing the cookies from another cookie sheet. Rachel watched him with a smile, but was distracted when the door opened again._

_ "Little star!"_

_ Rachel squealed and ran towards her father and his partner and threw her arms around both of them at the same time. "Daddy! Papa!"_

_ "How are you, princess?" Leroy asked._

_ Well, since Finn showed up, Rachel was feeling much better. But she wasn't about to share that with anyone, let alone either of her fathers. "I'm alright," she said instead. "Finn is just helping me finish up with the baking."_

_ "Oh." Hiram got a very interested look on his face as he looked between Finn and Rachel. "So you're the boy that's been dating Quinn, then."_

_ Finn nodded his head and shook Hiram's hand and then Leroy's. "I am. It's nice to meet you, sir."_

_ "Rachel has told us a bit about you," Leroy said. Her papa's words caused Rachel's cheeks to flush bright red. It wasn't like she wanted Finn to know how much she talked about him. "She says that you're a firefighter."_

_ Finn smiled at Rachel before speaking to Leroy. "I am."_

_ "Excellent!" Leroy clapped Finn on the back and moved so that they were walking into the living room. "Let's talk then."_

_ As soon as they were out of earshot, Hiram turned to his daughter. He didn't miss the way her cheeks were flushed or how her eyes followed Finn's form out of the kitchen._

_ "Finn seems like a nice man," he said._

_ Rachel nodded her head. "He is."_

_ "It was nice of him to help you."_

_ "It was."_

_ "He's very handsome, too."_

_ "He is—Daddy!"_

_ "What?" Hiram smiled. He just knew that his little girl had a crush on Finn, and her previous admission proved it. "I was just simply stating a fact."_

_ Rachel gave him a look. "Daddy," she said again. She knew what kind of game he was playing._

_ Hiram hugged her. "It's okay, little star. I know that you like Finn. I won't tell anyone. Besides your papa, that is." Rachel smiled, and then Hiram added, "By the way, you have the approval from both me and your papa."_

* * *

"Rachel, I can't believe that you're leaving me only two and half weeks before the wedding!"

Rachel zipped her suitcase shut and turned to face her sister, giving her a smile. "Quinn, you're going to be fine. I'll only be gone for the weekend. We didn't have anything planned, anyway."

"But what if there's an emergency?" Quinn said. "You can't leave!"

Rachel patted her hand. "Then call Santana." Santana would kill her for telling Quinn that, but Rachel seriously doubted that there would be any kind of serious emergency.

Quinn threw herself down on Rachel's bed. Instead of looking like a twenty-three year old woman who was a mother and getting married in less than a month, she looked like her two year old daughter. "I don't understand why you have to go spend the weekend with your fathers. You can just go and visit them any time you want!"

"I miss my daddy and my papa," Rachel said. Honestly, she was just thankful that her fathers were willing to cover for her and Finn as they went to Ohio for the weekend. "We're just going to see a few shows, like we used to when I was still in school."

"Ugh, fine," Quinn finally relented. "But if it's a really big emergency, do I have permission to call you? As my maid of honor, you're supposed to help me with those things, you know."

"Only if it's a life-threatening one," Rachel said.

Quinn smiled. "Okay."

"I mean it!" Rachel exclaimed as she pointed a finger at her. "Someone better be dying or severely bleeding out if I get a call from you. I don't want one just because the color of the napkins don't match the tablecloth."

"So I guess that would be a call for Santana, then?" Quinn asked.

Rachel winced. "I think that might be more a call for Mom, actually. You know what, maybe you should just call Mom instead of calling Santana. That might be safer for everyone." At this point, she was more than ready to go on this trip with Finn. It would be so nice to get a weekend away from everything.

* * *

Finn lifted Rachel's bag from the compartment over their seats and grunted under the weight. "Jeeze, Rach. What did you put in here? We're only going to be here for two days." He slung both his carry on and Rachel's over his shoulder.

"I know," Rachel said. "I just wanted to be prepared." They made their way off of the plane and Finn took Rachel's hand.

"What do you need to be prepared for? It's only two days, remember?"

"Obviously, I had to pack in case it rained. Also, what if your mother and your stepfather want to take us out to dinner? I had to bring a dress just in case. Not to mention my hair and makeup products are in there, as well." She laced their fingers together as they walked through the airport.

"Ah." Finn chuckled. He lifted their entwined hands and kissed her knuckles. "That makes so much sense now."

Rachel playfully nudged his side. "Don't you dare mock me, Finn Hudson. This is all very important and requires a lot of planning." Even though she had met Finn's mother and stepfather before, she was still nervous. She had only been Kurt's friend then. Now she was Finn's girlfriend.

They got the keys to the car Finn rented and loaded their bags into it. "Have you ever been to Ohio before?" Finn asked as he opened the car door for her. He waited until Rachel was settled in before going over to the driver's side and getting in.

Rachel shook her head. "Never. This is my first time here."

"Since we're only here for two days, I'll only be able to show you around Lima. But that only depends on if my mom lets us go long enough. She's going to want to talk to you the entire time."

It was then that Rachel got a worried look on her face. She bit her lip as she fiddled with the hem of her shirt, her previous worries coming back full force. "What if she doesn't like me?"

Stopping at a red light, Finn turned to give her an incredulous look. "Rach, are you kidding me? I've already told you that my mom loves you. Don't you remember all of the times she and Burt have come up to visit Kurt? She's only ever had good things to say about you." He took her hand again, squeezing it reassuringly.

"That's different."

"How is that different?"

"Because now I'm dating her son! That's so different from being best friends with her other son. I'm sleeping with her firstborn."

Finn had to choke back a laugh as he started driving again. He still held her hand, rubbing his thumb soothingly over the back of it. "I didn't realize that you were going to share that information with her."

"Finn!" Rachel punched his arm as her cheeks flamed bright red.

"Hey! Don't punch the driver!"

"Finn Hudson, I would never say that to your mother. As far as she knows, we're completely celibate."

"Rach, baby, come on." Finn pouted. "That's no fun at all. And my mom isn't stupid. She definitely doesn't need to know any details, but, you know…"

Rachel scowled at him. "Well, she doesn't need to know that I'm defiling her baby boy."

"Defiling? Really?" Finn turned down a street that had pretty, picturesque houses. He flashed her a smirk, and his dimple appeared in his left cheek. "Do you plan on having your wicked way with me later tonight, or something?"

"Not if you keep teasing me," Rachel grumbled.

Finn grinned and lifted her hand to his lips so that he could kiss her knuckles again. "I love you, Rachel Berry."

And Rachel could feel her heart melt at his sweet words. "You know, you can't always think that that's going to work every time I get annoyed."

"Is it working right now?"

Rachel scowled at the smirk on Finn's lips. "Yes," she admitted grudgingly.

"Okay, then." After a few more moments, Finn pulled into a driveway in front of a pretty brick house. Rachel bit her lip and Finn kissed her hand again. "It's going to be fine."

Rachel pointed at him as a smirk of her own came onto her lips. "Just remember this moment when you're meeting my fathers again."

Finn paled a little at the thought, but he got out of the car nonetheless. Leaving the bags for later, Finn opened Rachel's door for her and then took her hand. They walked towards the front door, but it swung open before they could get there.

Carole Hummel stood in the doorway. She was wearing a wide smile on her face as she watched them approach.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed in lieu of a greeting. "You're dating!"

* * *

"I always knew that my Finny had a crush on you," Carole said. They had finished dinner an hour ago, and now they were sitting at the dining room table and drinking coffee. Burt was in the kitchen, as he had volunteered to do the dishes (but he had told Finn that it was his job for the rest of the weekend). Finn's cheeks reddened at his mother's words.

"Mom," he mumbled in embarrassment. Rachel let out a giggle as Carole ignored her son's protest and continued speaking.

"And then when I talked to him a month ago, I could tell that he was happy, even though everyone else had been worrying about his dating life. But I could tell that my Finny wasn't telling me everything."

Finn's brow furrowed in confusion. "You knew?"

"Of course I knew!" Carole patted his hand. "I'm your mother, Finn Christopher Hudson. I know everything."

"Oh." Finn blinked in surprise and Rachel laughed. "Okay, then." He looked at Rachel and made a face at her for laughing, and she just smiled and reached up to kiss his cheek.

Carole smiled. "You really do look very happy, Finny," she said. When Rachel turned to look at her, Carole nodded her head.

"Thanks, Mom," Finn said. "And speaking of, you have to tell Kurt to stop trying to mess with my life. He threw a birthday party for me just so he could find me a girlfriend. Rachel was not very pleased."

"Of course I wasn't pleased!" Rachel exclaimed. "He can't keep trying to set you up with girls when you already have a perfectly good girlfriend."

Finn wrapped his arm around her kissed her temple. "Of course I have a wonderful girlfriend. But Kurt doesn't know that, baby. Remember?"

Carole looked between her son and his girlfriend. "Kurt doesn't know?" she repeated.

Both Finn and Rachel shifted in their seats. "Uh… no," Finn finally said. "Kurt doesn't know. Actually, a lot of people don't know. Well, Rachel's fathers know. And Puck knows, and Rachel's friend Tina knows, and Sam and Mercedes know. And I'm pretty sure Santana is really close to knowing. But other than that, a lot of people don't know."

"Finn, I'm not sure if I understand what you're talking about," Carole said with a note of worry in her voice.

Rachel bit her lip and squeezed Finn's hand tightly. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close, and she felt instantly comforted by being in his arms. "We wanted to keep it quiet until after the wedding since we—alright, _I_—wasn't very sure how Quinn would react."

"Oh. I see." Carole watched the young couple in front of her for a long moment. "I'm not entirely sure that Quinn would be unhappy that you two are dating."

"Well…" Rachel truly did look worried about what was going to happen. "Quinn has just been so stressed with planning the wedding, and I just… I don't know if I would really appreciate it if I had a younger sister and she dated one of my ex-boyfriends."

"I think she sort of cancelled that out when she cheated on me with my best friend," Finn pointed out. "She doesn't really have room to be angry. And honestly… her cheating on me was one of the best things that could have ever happened. Because it led me to you, Rachel."

Rachel's face relaxed into a smile and she reached up to press a hand to his cheek, resting her forehead against his. "I love you, Finn," she whispered.

Carole watched the couple with a motherly smile on her face. She was worried about their situation, but she could see how happy they made each other. Even though she had a feeling that this was going to get a little messy, she knew that everything was going to be okay. It was mother's intuition.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ah, Carole. The voice of reason. In the next chapter, someone else reveals that they already knew about Finn and Rachel's relationship. Thanks for reading!**


	19. i dream of the day

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for all of your amazing reviews! This chapter titles comes from "All My Life" by the Foo Fighters.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

The next night, Rachel was in the kitchen washing dishes with Carole while Finn was out back with Burt. Carole noticed how every now and then, Rachel would look out the window and her eyes would immediately find Finn's form, and then she would smile.

They would be leaving early the next day, and Rachel was sad to go. She and Finn had spent a wonderful weekend with his parents. He had also shown her around town, and they had just been able act normally. They didn't have to worry about anyone finding out about their relationship, so Finn and Rachel were able to be a couple in the open.

"I really don't think you have anything to worry about," Carole suddenly said.

Rachel pulled herself from her musings and turned to Carole. "What?"

The older woman smiled. "I think that everyone will be okay with you and Finn being in a relationship. I understand why you're choosing to wait until after the wedding to tell everyone. But I don't think that there will be a negative reaction."

Rachel nodded her head and let out a sigh. "I didn't mean for this to blow up the way that it did. We just wanted to keep it quiet, and then the lies got bigger and bigger, and…" She sighed again and bit her lip. "We dug ourselves into a whole. This is my fault."

Carole stepped forward and hugged Rachel tightly. "Finn doesn't think that at all. He only wants you to be happy, Rachel. He wants to make sure you have everything that you want, because that's just the kind of man that my son is."

Rachel hugged her in return and breathed deeply as she tried to calm herself down. It was then that the back door opened and Burt and Finn entered the kitchen. When they saw Carole and Rachel, they both stopped and stared at the two women with worry on their faces.

"Rach," Finn said as he stepped towards her. He reached out and put a hand on her back, sliding it up and down in a comforting motion. "Are you okay? Is everything alright?"

Rachel hugged Carole for another moment before she pulled away and turned to face Finn. She gave him a smile and nodded her head. "Everything is alright," she said quietly. "Carole and I were just talking."

Finn's brow furrowed and he cupped her face with one hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He could easily tell that she had been upset, and it worried him to see her like this. "Talking about what?"

"Nothing, Finny," Carole said. "It was just a girl talk. It's not something that you need to worry about, okay?"

Finn looked down at Rachel for confirmation. When she nodded her head, he kissed her forehead and took her hand, squeezing it gently. Rachel closed her eyes at Finn's comforting actions, and a small smiled played on her lips. Carole shared a look with Burt, because they just looked so cute together.

Rachel went upstairs to make sure that all of their things were packed. Finn could feel his mother's eyes on him, and he turned to face her with an eyebrow raised.

"Mom?" he asked as he watched her curiously.

"It's nothing, Finny," Carole said. And to his surprise, she actually sniffled. "I'm just… you look so happy with Rachel. And I'm so glad that you found her, sweetie."

"Mom… Are you _crying?_"

"No!" Carole exclaimed. But then she wiped at her eyes, and Finn could only smile and shake his head. "She's just so sweet and I always knew that you liked her and I'm so glad that the two of you are finally together."

"Carole, leave the poor boy alone," Burt said with a chuckle. "They're leaving to go back to the city in half an hour. I doubt either of them want to see you crying."

"Oh hush, Burt," Carole said as she sniffled again. "I'm the mother. I know what I'm talking about." She reached forward and hugged Finn, and he laughed as he hugged her in return.

"I know you talked to Rachel, Mom," Finn said quietly. "She's been so worried about everything lately, and I know that you've helped her. Thank you."

Carole smiled as Rachel came down the stairs. The conversation ended quickly and they all went into the kitchen for a last cup of coffee before Finn and Rachel had to go back to New York.

* * *

Rachel was so thankful that the apartment was empty as she entered it with Finn. He insisted on carrying her bags, and she wasn't complaining. She was tired and all she wanted was a nap after their plane ride. And Rachel wouldn't be opposed to napping with Finn, either.

"Thank God it's quiet in here," Rachel mumbled as she lay down on the couch. "I just want to take a nap."

Finn set Rachel's bags down and came to stand next to the couch. She reached a hand up and he took it, stroking his thumb over her knuckles. "Do you want me to go, baby?" he asked. He leaned over to kiss her forehead, and Rachel tugged on his hand until he got the hint and climbed onto the couch with her.

"Of course not," Rachel said. She snuggled into his side and closed her eyes, one hand gripping his shirt. Finn's presence calmed her immediately, and she just loved being around him. Whether they were out and having a good time or just sitting quietly, being with Finn just made Rachel happy. "You should stay here and nap with me."

Finn wasn't going to argue with her. If she didn't care that Santana and Kurt could walk in at any time, he certainly wasn't going to question it. He pulled her closer and lifted her chin so that he could kiss her. He felt her smile against his lips before she deepened the kiss, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck.

Finn slid his hands under her shirt, unable to keep himself from touching her soft skin. Rachel moaned in response, arching under him and pulling him closer at the same time. Her plans for a nap were quickly forgotten as Finn's touch excited her. They were so caught up in each other that neither heard the front door open.

Finn moved his lips from Rachel's and pressed them to her neck as she locked her fingers in his hair. She tilted her head back, letting out another moan of appreciation and bucked her hips into his, rubbing against him.

"I seriously hope that you two aren't about to fuck on that couch."

Finn was so surprised at the sudden voice that he fell off of Rachel, landing on the floor with a thud. He let out a groan of pain when his head hit the leg of the coffee table, and Rachel scrambled from the couch to kneel beside him.

"Oh my God, Finn! Are you okay?" she asked as she helped him sit up. She put one hand on his cheek and gently probed the back of his head with her other hand, feeling for the bump that was now forming.

"I'll be fine," Finn said. He turned to look up at Santana, who was smirking at both of them. "Hi, Santana."

"Lurch," she greeted. She walked towards the freezer and got an icepack. She wrapped it in a paper towel before she joined Finn and Rachel in the living room. She handed the icepack to Rachel, and she held it to the back of Finn's head. He was surprised by Santana's actions, but she only shook her head, signaling that she would talk about it later.

"Seriously, though," Santana continued. "I'm glad that I interrupted you two. We've made it a rule that fucking on communal furniture is forbidden. I don't care what you do in your bedrooms, but you're not doing the nasty on this couch. It took Kurt forever to pick this one. I'm not about to wait for him to pick another one."

Rachel gave her best friend a curious look. "Santana, you don't sound very… surprised."

The Latina snorted. "Of course I'm not."

"Really?"

Santana rolled her eyes before she gave her friend a look that was half affectionate, half exasperated. "Berry, don't act like this is some big shock. I've known that you've had a huge crush on Finnegan since forever, remember? And when you finally started acting semi-relaxed, I knew that you were getting regularly laid. It didn't take me very long to figure out that you were getting it on with Hudson, honestly."

"Wow," Finn muttered. "Puck wasn't wrong when he said that Santana probably knew."

"You guys are shit at hiding your relationship," Santana pointed out. "I'm surprised that more people haven't figured it out. I've known for a while now. I was just waiting until one of you owned up to it. Or I caught you. Whichever happened first."

Just out of curiosity, Finn asked, "Why did you decide to wait instead of just telling us that you knew?"

Santana smirked. "It was more fun that way. Berry is a shit liar and you're almost as bad as her. Some of your excuses were pretty ridiculous."

Rachel gave her friend a mildly amused look before she said, "Well, Tina knows. So does Sam, one of Finn's co-workers. Mercedes, who's Sam's wife, knows as well. And my fathers know, and Finn's mother and stepfather know, and Puck knows…"

"Oh my God. You might as well tell everyone now, Rachel. Because from where I'm standing, the only people that don't actually know are Kurt and Quinn. And your mother and step father, but it's not like you see them every day. And I guess that the three bridesmaid hags from hell don't know either, but no one cares what they think."

"We're waiting until after the wedding to tell everyone," Rachel told Santana.

"Why?" When Rachel gave her a pointed look, she nodded her head. "Ah. I see. You're worried that Quinn is going to go all vindictive bitch on you."

"Yes," Rachel said softly. She just didn't want her relationship with her sister to fall apart. Quinn could be very territorial about certain things, even when it didn't make sense for her to be. Rachel just didn't want that to happen. Finn, who couldn't stand to see Rachel looking so upset, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her temple. He pulled her close and rubbed her back soothingly, letting out a small sigh of relief when Rachel relaxed into him.

"Well, I won't let that happen," Santana said. "And I'm sure that the Jolly Green Giant over here won't either. Even though he probably doesn't keep a knife strapped on the inside of his bra like I do."

Finn's eyes went wide in surprise. He ignored the jab about the bra as he said, "You can't be serious."

"Of course she's not," Rachel said dismissively. "Santana is just being dramatic."

"Alright, so I actually have it strapped to my thigh." Santana's voice was deadpan, and Finn couldn't tell if she was lying or not. "But saying that it's strapped on the inside of my bra just sounds so much better." She turned back to Rachel. "Fine. I'll keep this a secret until the wedding, too. But I don't know want to hear about it when it all blows up in your face."

"It's not going to blow up," Rachel said immediately, even though she feared that that was exactly what was going to happen. "We're going to tell Quinn after the wedding and everything will be fine."

Santana stared at Rachel for a long moment before she finally nodded her head. "Whatever you say, Berry."

Rachel kissed Finn's cheek and stood up. "I'm going to take a quick shower, and then we can order something to eat. Does that sound good?"

"Sounds great, baby," Finn agreed. He watched her disappear into her bedroom before he realized that Santana had her eyes focused on him. He turned to her with an eyebrow raised. "What?"

"You love her," Santana stated.

Without any hesitation, Finn replied, "I do."

"I mean… you really love her. The forever kind of love."

Finn still didn't hesitate, because he knew that Santana was right. In reality, they had been going out for a little over two months. But that didn't change the strength of Finn's feelings. He just sort of… _knew_. He could feel it.

"I do," he repeated.

Santana nodded her head once. "Good. But if you do anything to hurt her—"

"I won't."

She went on as if she hadn't heard him. "—I will rip your balls off and string them up out front for all of New York to see. And I'll do it with a spoon."

Finn winced. "I won't hurt her," he repeated.

Santana stared at him for a long moment. "I know you won't," she finally said. "You're good for her, Finn. And even though you two kind of make me want to throw up with how sappy you are, I'm rooting for you guys. I always have been."

Finn grinned at her. "Thanks, Santana," he said.

She glared at him and pointed at her. "Don't you dare."

"Don't want?"

"You look like you're about to hug me. Don't you dare."

Finn only laughed. It was then that Rachel came out of the bathroom, wearing a pair of leggings and one of his sweaters. She had managed to snag it from his suitcase during their visit to Ohio. Finn smiled when he saw her in and it took her hand, tugging her into his lap. Santana made a face at them before she stood up, announcing that she was going to order the take out.

"I love you," Finn said to Rachel. He wanted to say it just because he could.

Rachel beamed at him and felt that warm feeling spread in her chest. She loved hearing him say it, and she loved saying it back. "I love you, too," she said before she leaned in to kiss him.

The next thing they knew, a spatula was being thrown at them from all the way across the kitchen. "No fucking on the couch!" Santana yelled.

Before Rachel could respond, Finn moved his lips so they were next to Rachel's ear. "I guess we better not tell her about that time on the kitchen counter a few weeks ago, then."

His statement caused Rachel to giggle, and she put her hands on either side of his face and kissed him again, causing Santana to yell out another crude statement. And then she added, "By the way, I still have to kick your ass from hiding this relationship from me! Don't think that I haven't forgotten about it!"

Rachel turned in Finn's lap and immediately started yelling back. Finn could only laugh as he tightened his arms around her.

* * *

**Author's Note: So Santana knew all along, but now she's on the official list of people that know! We're rapidly expanding that list, because someone else finds out in the next chapter, as well.**


	20. but you're no burden

**Author's Note: You are all seriously awesome. Thank you so much for the reviews! The flashback is in italics. This chapter title comes from "Ever the Same" by Rob Thomas.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything.**

* * *

_Quinn had been in labor with Beth for about ten hours. Now that the baby was born, she was resting in her room, allowing the rest of the family to recuperate. Rachel walked through the hospital, just taking the time to stretch her legs before she went back to her apartment._

_ During her walk, Rachel found Puck standing in front of the window of the room where they were holding his newborn daughter. She found little Beth immediately and smiled when she saw her new niece sleeping soundly._

_ "How are you doing, Noah?" Rachel asked_

_ Puck rubbed a hand over his hair. "I'm scared shitless, honestly."_

_ "Noah, everything is going to be alright," Rachel said. "You love Quinn, and Quinn loves you, and both of you love this baby."_

_ Puck gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Berry," he said. After a moment, he sighed. "I just wish that Finn was here. He's always been a brother to me, and I… I wish that Quinn and I would have handled things differently."_

_ Rachel didn't want to outright agree with Puck, because she knew that he was already feeling bad enough. She knew that both Puck and Quinn still felt horrible for what had happened._

_ "Well… You can't change things now," Rachel said carefully._

_ "I know," Puck said quietly._

_ "But Finn seems like a nice guy," Rachel continued. "And you two have been best friends for almost all of your life. I'm sure that he'll come around eventually. It's just going to take some time."_

_ Puck was quiet for a long moment. "Thank you," he said. "You know, you won't make a bad little sister. Or sister-in-law. Whatever."_

_ Rachel tried not to squeal at Puck's implication. "Are you going to ask Quinn to marry you?"_

_ Puck smiled at Rachel's enthusiasm. "Yeah. Can you keep your mouth shut about it long enough for me to do it?"_

_ "How long do I have to wait?" Rachel demanded. _

_ "Can you give it a few months? We just had a baby, after all."_

_ "Alright, fine," Rachel relented with a scowl. She resented the implication that she couldn't keep a secret. "But you have to let me help you pick out a ring."_

_ "Already done," Puck said._

_ "Can I see it, then?"_

_ Puck laughed. "Just relax, Berry."_

_ Rachel sighed in exasperation at Puck before she nodded her head. "Fine," she repeated. "I'm going to go check up on my parents."_

_ Puck nodded his head and turned to watch his daughter again. "Oh, and Berry?" When Rachel turned, Puck smirked. "Maybe Finn can be Uncle Finn to your Aunt Rachel."_

_ Just as Puck had suspected (he had always known that Rachel had a crush on Finn. And he suspected that Finn had a thing for Rachel, too), Rachel's cheeks flushed bright red. "Excuse me?" she said, her voice jumping up to a higher octave than normal._

_ Puck gave her an innocent look. "I was just saying that one day, Beth might call Finn Uncle Finn. That's all."_

_ "Right." Rachel gave him a strange look before she left. Once she was out of earshot, Puck started laughing. He knew that one day, he would get to hear Beth call his best friend and his future sister-in-law Uncle Finn and Aunt Rachel._

* * *

"Seriously, you two are the worst at keeping secrets. Nearly everyone knows now that the two of you are together."

Finn rolled his eyes at Puck. "Dude. You're not helping at all right now."

"I just don't understand why you two insisted on hiding it," Puck said. "We're all happy for you, man."

"Considering that it was you who fucked him over in the first place, you better be happy for him," Santana said as she came into the living room. Rachel was out picking up their takeout for them. Since Kurt was out with Blaine, they had decided to go over to Rachel's apartment and have dinner. Rachel had left to pick up the food before Finn had arrived, otherwise he would have gone with her. Now he was stuck with Puck and Santana as they argued back and forth.

Puck scowled at her. "You don't have to be such a bitch, Lopez. We all know what happened."

Finn sighed. He hadn't quite planned on playing referee, but he should have expected it. "And we're over it," he pointed out. "So let's just… let it go."

Puck glared at Santana for another moment before he said, "Well, I was the first one to figure it out. I'm surprised it took you so long, Lopez."

"Yeah right, Puckerman," Santana said with a snort. "I've known Rachel nearly my entire life. I knew the moment that Rachel met Finn that she would find a way to climb him like a tree."

"I've known Finn for that long, too. And since we're older than you, I've known him longer. I could tell right away that he would want to bone Berry the second they saw each other."

Finn was so glad Rachel wasn't in the apartment at that moment.

"Guys, we are not arguing about this right now," Finn said. He definitely wanted to put an end to that disagreement before Rachel returned.

"Whatever, Hudson," Puck said dismissively. Thankfully, though, the conversation was dropped. The door opened and Rachel came in, carrying the bags of their food. Finn jumped up to help her, greeting her with a kiss on the lips.

"Gross," Santana muttered. "They're cute." Rachel only smiled pleasantly at her roommate as she took the cartons out of the bag and grabbed some forks from the drawer.

"Anyway, Finn." Puck stood up and made his way to the counter. "I had a question for you."

Finn grabbed his own carton and snagged a fork from Rachel, thanking her with a kiss on the cheek. "What's up, man?"

"Well… I haven't exactly picked a best man yet," Puck revealed.

That caused Rachel to gasp rather dramatically. "Are you serious?" she demanded. She had pretty much spent the past year planning this wedding with Quinn. Her older sister wanted everything to be perfect. If Quinn found out that Puck hadn't picked a best man yet, her head would probably explode. And so would Rachel's, by extension. "The wedding is in three days, Noah. I can't believe you haven't picked a best man yet!"

Puck gave her a slightly exasperated look. "Berry. I'm trying to ask a question here."

"Oh." Rachel suddenly understood what Puck was trying to do, and she smiled. She gestured for him to go on. "Continue, please."

"Anyway." Turing back to Finn, Puck prepared to continue. "I was kind of keeping the spot open, especially since we started talking to each other again. So I was wondering if you were interested in having it." Puck ran a hand over his Mohawk. He tried not to be nervous for Finn's response, but he couldn't help it. Finn was the only person he could imagine having as his best man.

"Yeah," Finn said. He smiled, because he knew that it hadn't exactly been easy for Puck to ask that question and admit that he had always wanted him for a best man. "Yeah, I will."

Everyone stayed in comfortable silence for a long moment. Rachel was beaming brightly as she held onto Finn's hand. He smiled down at her and then nodded his head at Puck, who reached over and clapped him on the shoulder. Suddenly, Santana broke the silence.

"Aw! The bromance has been officially reunited! How cute!"

That caused Finn to chuckle and Rachel to laugh outright. Puck rolled his eyes and said, "Right. That's enough of this super feeling fuzzy shit for me."

* * *

"We have so much to do," Quinn said as she checked her hair in the mirror. "Do we really have to go to my bachelorette party?"

"Of course we do, Quinn," Rachel said. But honestly, it wasn't like Rachel wanted to go either. "Besides, your other bridesmaids won't stop bothering you until you go. They wouldn't leave me alone until I planned one."

"I guess I am lucky that you were the one who planned it," Quinn relented. "Knowing my former roommates, they definitely would have gone a little wild with the planning. Aubrey loves that sort of thing."

"Right." Rachel straightened the hem of her dress and then slipped her jacket on. They were two days away from the wedding, and Tiffany had called her four days ago, demanding to know why a bachelorette party hadn't been set up yet (despite the fact that Quinn had stated that she didn't really want one). Rachel had then received calls from both Aubrey and Gwen with suggestions for a party.

Rachel, knowing her sister, had set up a small gathering at a swanky bar. Quinn had definitely done her fair share of partying, but since graduating from college she had matured in her tastes. They were just going to spend a fun, quiet night out. While Quinn had been initially reluctant to go, she found that the quiet night Rachel had planned would work perfectly.

"Aubrey called me earlier. She said that we should go to the same club that Kurt had Finn's birthday party at. But I told her that I was perfectly fine with being at the bar," Quinn said. She grabbed her jacket as well and pulled it on. "Ready to go?"

"As I'll ever be," Rachel muttered. She was just glad that Santana was going to be there tonight, as well. She needed a buffer from all the other bridesmaids.

It took them fifteen minutes to get to the bar. Rachel spotted Santana immediately, and the Latina handed her a very pink drink as soon as Rachel sat down. She had told Santana about how Gwen had been all over Finn from the beginning, and that only made Santana want to kick her ass even more.

She gave her a best friend a thankful smile and took a sip of her drink. She certainly didn't plan on getting drunk (much as she wanted to), so she was careful with keeping track of how many she drank. She was on her second drink and not really paying attention to the conversation when Quinn, Tiffany, and Aubrey got up to get more drinks from the bar.

Santana's phone rang then, and she gave Rachel a slightly apologetic look as she held it up to show her the screen. "It's Brittany," she said.

Rachel sighed and nodded her head. "Go ahead," she said, albeit a bit reluctantly. It wasn't like she wanted to be left at the table alone with Gwen. Santana patted her back before she left the booth.

Rachel sighed and took a long sip of her drink. She wondered how long it would be before Gwen said something to piss her off. And, not surprisingly, it didn't take very long at all.

Gwen stared at her. "I know," she said.

Rachel took another sip of her pink drink. "Excuse me?" she said in a dull voice. She wasn't in the mood to play any games, especially not with Gwen.

"I know," Gwen repeated. "I know everything."

"Gwen, I'm not following. And frankly, I'm getting a little tired of you. So if you could elaborate, that would be wonderful." Rachel was so done with taking Gwen's crap. She would be civil with Gwen in front of Quinn, for her sake, but after the wedding all bets were off.

Gwen gave Rachel a cold smirk. "I know about your secret relationship with Finn."

Rachel almost choked on another sip of her drink. But she called on her superb acting skills and schooled her features, returning Gwen's smirk with a cool look. She didn't start denying, but she didn't confirm Gwen's claim either. She needed to find out what Gwen knew.

Fortunately, she was very forthcoming with the information. "On Finn's birthday, I saw you dancing with him at the club. It looked as if you two were very… cozy."

"And what if we were just dancing?" Rachel asked. She and Finn definitely hadn't been just dancing. But still.

"It definitely didn't look that way. And my suspicions were confirmed when I saw you leaving the bathroom with him. Now what would you and Finn be doing in a bathroom together?"

Now Rachel definitely knew that they had been caught. So the bathroom at the club wasn't the best place for her and Finn's little interlude. She could have kicked herself for being so stupid. She might have been able to get away with it had Gwen not been there. At this point, there was only one thing that Rachel could say—and she had been itching to say it since the first time she had met Gwen.

"Then you can stop trying to go after Finn, then," Rachel stated. "Because he's not interested." Knowing how Finn felt about her—knowing his love for her and the way that he looked into her eyes and the way that he touched her—helped Rachel firmly tell Gwen off. "And he never will be."

"We'll see about that," Gwen snapped. When Rachel opened her mouth to retort, Gwen held her hand up. "And I might tell Quinn about your little relationship with Finn. I'm sure that's why you're keeping it quiet, isn't it?"

Rachel pressed her lips together as her eyes narrowed into a dangerous, dark glare. She wasn't normally one for violence, but she had never wanted to hit someone as much as she did at that moment.

Before Rachel could properly respond (or not properly, depending on how you looked at it), everyone came back to the table. Quinn, Aubrey, and Tiffany had gotten drinks for everyone, and they passed them around. Rachel downed hers quickly as Santana look on in concern.

"Berry," she said. "Are you okay? You look like you're going to be sick."

Rachel's eyes flashed briefly to Gwen, and Santana didn't miss it. "I think I might be," she said quietly. Turning towards her sister, she gave her a small smile. "I'm sure it's nothing bad. I'm just going to go home and lay down. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

Quinn reached over and hugged Rachel tightly. When she pulled back, Rachel saw that she was giving her a look full of worry. "Call me if you're feeling worse, okay?" she said. "If not, I'll see you tomorrow."

Rachel nodded her head and got up to leave. She hailed a cab outside of the bar and jumped in, pulling her phone out. Instead of going back to her own apartment, Rachel gave the cab driver the address for Finn's. She set a quick text off to Kurt to tell him that she was spending the night at Quinn's before she laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.

* * *

The door swung open before Rachel had even knocked. When Finn saw her, he pulled her into his arms and embraced her tightly. He pressed a kiss to her temple as Rachel sank into his arms and closed her eyes. She loved how he always immediately made her feel so much better.

"Are you okay?" Finn asked gently. "I just got a text from Santana and Puck. Puck said that he got a call from Quinn that you weren't feeling well, and Santana said that you left the bachelorette party suddenly. What's going on?"

"Gwen," Rachel muttered into Finn's chest. "I just… I'm so tired of her and everything that she says and all the trouble that she tries to stir up."

"Baby, what did she do?" He gently rubbed her shoulder, and Rachel leaned further into his touch.

"She knows about us," Rachel revealed. "She's known about us since your birthday. And she threatened to tell Quinn."

Finn dragged a hand through his hair. He didn't really feel angry about how Gwen was threatening to tell everyone about their relationship (he was, however, majorly pissed that she kept bothering Rachel. Finn wouldn't stand for that). He was just more annoyed with the fact that she kept trying to interject herself in their lives. He was tired of the shit that Gwen had been trying to pull. Really, all he wanted was for her to go away.

"That's it," Finn said. He didn't even feel like dealing with Gwen at that particular moment, so he was just going to spend the night making sure that Rachel was okay. And the next time he saw Gwen, it was going to be done. "We're going to put an end to this. The next time we see her, that's it. I'm done."

"I just don't want her to tell Quinn before we get a chance to. That would probably be the worst thing that could possibly happen." Rachel sighed and dropped on to the couch. She had no doubt that Gwen would find a way to spin the story to make Finn and Rachel out to be the bad guys. That was the last thing that Rachel wanted. "If I had just told Quinn about us from the beginning, none of this would be happening right now."

Finn took a seat next to her and rubbed a comforting hand over her back. "It's not your fault," Finn said firmly. He really did believe that. He wasn't putting any of the blame on Rachel. At any rate, he had taken a part in the decision-making as much as she had. "You just wanted everyone to be happy. But things can't always be perfect, baby. You just have to trust that everything is going to work out."

Rachel rested her head on Finn's shoulder. "Everything is going to okay, right?"

"I think so." He kissed the top of her head before he said, "So why don't I put in a copy of _Funny Girl_ and grab you one of my sweaters?"

For the first time since she had come into the apartment, Rachel's face relaxed into a true smile. "I love you. Has anyone ever told you that you're pretty much the best boyfriend ever?"

"Once or twice. I wouldn't mind hearing it again." Finn kissed her tenderly. "I love you, too," he added before he disappeared in his room to grab her one of his sweaters.

Rachel smiled again and settled into the couch. Despite her earlier worries, she really did believe that everything was going to work out. And no matter what, she would always have Finn and the rest of their friends and family by her side.

* * *

**Author's Note: Bet that wasn't the person you all thought was going to find out. At least Rachel got a chance to tell Gwen off. :) So the next chapter is the wedding! We're finally there! Not to mention, Finn and Rachel get caught by someone else at the wedding. **


	21. and you're one with me

**Author's Note: Over 500 reviews! Wow! Thank you so much! Anyway, this is the chapter that you've all been waiting for, so please enjoy! This chapter title comes from "Stay with You" by the Goo Goo Dolls.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

"Here, Berry." Santana pulled the hem of her skirt up and removed the flask she had hidden under there on a garter. She handed it to her petite friend and nodded her head encouragingly. "You look like you need this."

Rachel took the flask from Santana and took a quick swig of it. She coughed when she swallowed and looked over at Santana, who was smirking. "Santana, what is that?"

"Tequila, of course. Do you really think I would use vodka at a time like this? And besides, tequila turns me into a better fighter. As soon as this wedding is over, I'm kicking that little bitch's ass."

Both Puck and Santana had demanded to know the real reason for Rachel leaving the bachelorette party. They had both tag-teamed her until she finally relented and told them what Gwen said. From that point on, Santana refused to call Gwen anything other than "that bitch."

"Rachel! Rachel, where's my bouquet? I can't find my bouquet!" Quinn, who still wasn't in her dress yet, came running into the room Rachel and Santana had been getting ready in. Rachel quickly thrust the flask back at Santana and went towards her sister.

"Quinn, calm down," Rachel said soothingly. "I know exactly where your bouquet is. You, on the other hand, have to get your dress on. So let's go back to your room and finish getting ready."

"Good luck," Santana said with a snort.

But Quinn wasn't about to let Santana go without giving her something to do. "Santana, can you please go check and make sure that the ushers are seating everyone?" she asked.

Santana opened her mouth, a snarky retort on her lips, but Rachel whipped around to give her a look. Santana sighed before she said, "Of course, Quinn." As she was leaving, Rachel noticed her taking another swig from her flask.

"I'm freaking out a little bit, Rachel," Quinn said as they went into Quinn's room. "I'm really freaking out."

"Why?" Rachel questioned. "You want to marry Puck, right?"

"Of course! I just want this wedding to be perfect. It will be because I finally get to marry Puck, but I just want everything to go smoothly. And I want to make sure that Beth is going to be ready—"

"Mom is already taking care of her," Rachel interrupted. "Everything is going to be fine, Quinn. You just need to relax. We've spent almost the last year and a half planning this wedding, remember?"

"Right. Yes. Yes, we have," Quinn nodded her head and took a deep breath. She got into her dress and then looked at her reflection in the mirror. "I'm getting married. I'm really getting married today."

Rachel finally allowed herself to relax a little when she saw that her sister was no longer freaking out. She got Quinn's veil and placed it on top of her head. Quinn's dress was very classic and simple, with small straps and a full skirt. They both looked at their reflections in the mirror, bright smiles on their faces.

"Thank you so much for helping me, Rachel," Quinn said. "You're my sister, and I wouldn't have wanted anyone else to be my maid of honor. I couldn't have done this without you." She turned and hugged Rachel tightly.

Rachel almost felt like she was going to cry as she hugged her sister in return. "Quinn, you're making me cry!" Rachel exclaimed.

"Don't you dare cry, Rachel! Then I'll cry!" Quinn sniffled when she pulled away. "I mean it, Rachel. You were the biggest help and I'm so glad that you're my maid of honor."

"I'm glad that I got to be your maid of honor!"

Before the crying could commence, Shelby knocked on the door and peeked in, smiling when she saw her two daughters. She came to hug both of them and then they looked at their reflection in the mirror once again.

"My two girls," Shelby said. "My two beautiful girls. Quinn is getting married and Rachel helped with everything and this is just so wonderful. I can't believe how grown up you both are."

"No!" Rachel and Quinn exclaimed at the same time.

"Shelby, you can't cry!" Quinn continued.

"The makeup will be ruined and then we'll have to do it again and then we'll be behind schedule and we can't have that!" Rachel added.

Shelby nodded her head and squeezed their shoulders at the same time. She sniffled and straightened Quinn's veil before she said, "It's time, Quinn. Your father is waiting for you."

Rachel went and found Quinn's bouquet. She handed it to her before finding her own. Together, they all made their way out to the front and got in line. Rachel hugged both Russell and her mother before taking her place behind Santana.

Little Beth made her way down the aisle first, dropping rose petals as she went. Then Aubrey was first in the procession of the bridesmaids, followed by Gwen, Tiffany, and then Santana. Rachel made her way down the aisle next, walking in time with everyone else. As she went, she caught Finn's eye. He was standing next to Puck, looking completely and utterly handsome in his tuxedo. His lips tilted up in a grin when he saw her, and Rachel beamed at him in return.

The double doors at the end of the aisle opened, and Quinn made her way down the aisle with Russell. Quinn and Puck only had eyes for each other, and they took each other's hands once Quinn reached the end of the aisle.

Rachel didn't pay much attention during the ceremony; her eyes remained on Finn's for the majority of the time. He kept his eyes trained on her as well with that wonderful half smile on his face.

And then Puck and Quinn were being announced as husband and wife. They kissed as everyone cheered and applauded. Puck scooped Beth up into his arms as he and Quinn made their way back up the aisle.

The bridesmaids and the groomsmen paired off as they went back up the aisle as well. Finn and Rachel were the first couple to go back up together. Finn offered Rachel his arm and winked at her. She giggled as she took it. He squeezed her hand as they walked towards the doors together.

After, it was time for pictures. It was a beautiful day in late November, and it allowed for the pictures to be taken out in the garden. As directed by the photographer, Finn stood with his arms wrapped around Rachel. She leaned back against him, a wide smile on her face as the pictures were taken.

After the pictures with all of the wedding party, the groomsmen took pictures and then the bridesmaids posed for their photos. Quinn and Puck were getting their pictures taken while Finn and Rachel stood off to the side.

"You look so beautiful, Rachel," Finn said as he took her hand.

Rachel smiled and reached up to adjust the boutonniere Finn was wearing. "You look pretty handsome yourself, Finn." She really couldn't get over how fantastic he looked in his tuxedo. Her cheeks reddened a little when she realized that she was very excited for the slutty wedding sex.

Making sure that no one was watching, Finn leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Rachel's lips. "Rachel, I couldn't take my eyes off of you when you were walking down the aisle." That half smile was lifting his lips, and his amber eyes were soft and loving as he gazed down at her. She knew that he really meant it.

Rachel had a sudden flash of what it would be like to walk down the aisle again—only this time, her dress was white and Finn was waiting for her. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized that it was exactly what she wanted. Her heart swelled and she took Finn's hand, lacing their fingers together. He grinned at her and she beamed up at him as both of them thought about their future together.

It wasn't long before the photographer announced they were finished. Rachel helped Quinn heard everyone into their proper limos (and she was glad that she had managed to escape being in one with Gwen and the other bridesmaids). Rachel and Finn sat next to each other in the limo with their thighs pressed together, sharing secret smiles the entire time.

* * *

It was just as beautiful as they all thought it would be. The decorations were perfect, the flowers were wonderful, and the table settings were just as it had been imagined. Finn put his hand on Rachel's back as they made their way in.

"Rach, this place looks amazing," he muttered.

"Quinn and Puck were in charge of everything. I just supervised from time to time," Rachel said. "But this place does look pretty amazing, doesn't it?"

Before Finn could answer, it was announced that Quinn and Puck were going to be entering the ballroom. Everyone went to their assigned tables and sat down. Thankfully, Rachel had managed to work it so that she was seated at a table with her fathers, Santana, Brittany, Kurt, and Blaine.

They didn't really have time for greetings as Puck and Quinn came into the room. Puck was still carrying Beth, and the little family was all wearing bright smiles as they took their seats at the front of the room.

Taking advantage of the fact that Santana and Kurt were arguing yet again, both Hiram and Leroy turned to Finn. They both had matching grins on their faces, and it made Finn shrink back.

Rachel took one look at her fathers and let out a groan. "Daddy! Papa! Please tell me that you're not actually doing this right now!"

"Doing what?" Hiram said. He winked at his husband before he turned back to his daughter. "We're not doing anything wrong, little star. We just wanted to talk to Finn for a little bit."

"I don't think there's anything to talk about," Rachel said. She tried to keep from being petulant, but she couldn't stop herself from pouting somewhat.

Under the table, Finn took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. Over on the other side of the table, Santana caught his eye. When he nodded, Santana turned to keep Kurt distracted while Rachel's fathers began their interrogation.

"Oh, Rachel. I think that we'll have plenty to talk about," Leroy said. He reached over and patted Finn on the shoulder. "Isn't that right, son?"

Finn smiled. "Ask away, Mr. Berry."

Rachel squeezed Finn's hand in return. She soon realized that her fathers were just doing everything they could to mess with Finn. They actually thought that it was funny, but they meant well. She tried to hide the smile on her face as Finn calmly and confidently answered each question that Hiram and Leroy threw at him.

When there was a break in the questioning, Rachel murmured, "You're doing really well."

Finn snorted. "Are you kidding me? I'm freaking out."

"Well, I certainly can't tell." Rachel beamed at him and Finn finally relaxed and grinned. Hiram and Leroy went back to asking him questions about work, and Finn didn't seem as if he was worried anymore.

Soon, waiters came out and set their dinner in front of them. Finn smiled down at Rachel and when no one was looking, he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. After dinner was served, the music started up once again and people flooded the dance floor, including Kurt, Blaine, Santana, and Brittany. So Finn and Rachel were free to sit there and whisper with each other as much as they wanted to.

Rachel turned to Finn and made her eyes go as wide as they possibly could. He caught sight of the look on her face and immediately shook his head. "No. No way, Rachel. There is absolutely no way that I'm going to dance."

"Please, Finn?" Rachel pleaded. "We'd have so much fun!"

Finn gave her an incredulous look. "Do you remember what happened the last time we were on the dance floor together?"

"Why yes, I do." Rachel leaned up to press her lips to his ear. She nibbled lightly on his earlobe before speaking. "And I believed that I promised you some slutty wedding sex."

Finn stared at Rachel with wide eyes, instantly going hard with her words. He was about to jump up and drag her onto the dance floor when someone else appeared in his line of vision. He frowned and heard Rachel let out an annoyed noise when they both realized who it was. Finn shifted a little and tried to make sure that his arousal was hidden from view.

"Hello, Finn," Gwen said. She only stopped to spare a glare at Rachel, but otherwise completely ignored her. "I was wondering if you would care to dance with me."

Rachel gave her an icy look and opened her mouth to respond, but Finn spoke. "I really wouldn't," he stated.

Gwen's face dropped immediately, and she didn't bother to try and hide her anger. "Excuse me?"

"I said that I didn't want to dance with you. And I don't really want to talk to you, either. In fact, the only person that I'll be dancing with is Rachel." He smiled down at Rachel, and she grinned back at him and tried not to laugh at the look on Gwen's face. "I love her. And I'll love her forever." With those words, Finn cupped Rachel's face in his hands and pulled her close, giving her a deep, passionate kiss.

Gwen stared at them before she let out an angry noise and stalked away. Finn pulled back, keeping his forehead against hers. He smoothed his thumbs over her cheeks and smiled.

"Anyone can see us," he muttered. Truthfully, everyone was too distracted with congratulating the newlywed couple to pay them much attention.

Rachel placed a light kiss on his lips. "I don't care," she whispered in response. And in that moment she really didn't care if someone saw them. She was too happy to worry about it.

Finn grinned. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Rachel kissed him again and jumped up, grabbing his hand. Finn didn't question her as they made their way around the ballroom and out into the hotel. Rachel kept moving through the hotel lobby and outside. She checked to make sure that no one was in the limo before she opened the door and pushed Finn inside.

Following him into the limo, Rachel climbed over him until she was straddling his lap. Finn grinned and reached up, pulling his mouth down to hers. Then, surprising Rachel, Finn flipped them over so that she was laid back on the seat. Thankful that the limo was so roomy, Finn settled himself on the floor of the car and put his hands on Rachel's knees, guiding them apart.

Finn let out a moan of appreciation when he saw how wet she already was. He traced his fingers over her panty-covered core and Rachel moaned, reaching her hands up to press them against the door of the limo. Finn slowly peeled her lacy panties off, tossing them behind him as he slid his hands up her thighs and moved closer so that his hot breath was blowing over her.

"Oh, God," Rachel breathed out. The anticipation was killing her, and Finn didn't seem to mind just taking his sweet time. Rachel nearly screamed when his tongue passed over her the first time.

"God, baby," Finn groaned. "You taste so good." With that, his lips closed around her clit, sucking in the way that drove Rachel crazy. Her hands flew from the door into Finn's hair, gripping it tightly. She pretty much lost all ability to speak as Finn lapped at her core and then slipped his fingers inside of her. He moaned against her as if she was the best thing he had ever tasted, which made Rachel moan his name in response.

Rachel could feel herself careening towards the edge and she moved her hips to get closer to his mouth and hand as she desperately tried to find that completion. She screamed when Finn tongued her clit again before she suddenly came, the feelings overwhelming her. Finn continued to gently suck and kiss at her hot skin as the orgasm coursed through her. When she was finished, he kissed her thighs and then moved up so that his body was covering hers.

Rachel reached up and pulled him down to kiss her. She could feel Finn's harness against her thigh and she rubbed against it before she pushed on his chest, guiding him into a sitting position. Rachel straddled Finn again, never removing her lips from his.

"Babe, your mouth," Rachel breathed against his mouth. Her tongue traced his lips and then she gasped when Finn nibbled on her bottom lip. "You're amazing."

"Why thank you," Finn said with a chuckle. "It was my pleasure." He kissed her again, holding onto her hips tightly.

Finn's hands spread over her back, fingers splaying across her smooth skin as his tongue traced the contours of her mouth. Rachel moaned, clutching at his shoulders as he brought one hand down and stroked it up her bare leg, teasing it along her thigh. Rachel's hips ground down against the hardness she could feel, moaning when he bucked against her.

Cupping her breast over the material of her dress, Finn moved his lips down to her neck. Rachel quickly unbuttoned his pants and pushed them down as much as she could, along with his boxer briefs. Finn ran his fingers up her slit, coating them in her wetness once more. Rachel moaned again as Finn slid two fingers inside of her and curled them. Even though he had just given her a mind-blowing orgasm, she wanted another one. And she wanted Finn inside her when this one happened.

"Finn," Rachel gasped. "Finn, _please._"

"What do you need, baby?" Finn moved his fingers inside of her, watching her face the entire time. He loved watching her and how responsive she was. Her eyes were closed and she was biting down on her bottom lip as her hips moved against his hand.

"I need…" Rachel gasped again. "I need you. Finn, now."

She didn't wait for him. She tugged on his hand and pulled it up to her mouth, sucking on his fingers as Finn looked at her with dark eyes. Taking control, Rachel shifted up onto her knees and then slowly sank down on him. Rachel cried out at the feeling of him inside of her, stretching her arms above her head to press against the ceiling of the limo. Finn groaned as he brought his hands around to hold Rachel under her behind, lifting her up on him. But Rachel pushed his hands away and rolled her hips at a tantalizing pace.

"God, Rach," he groaned as his head fell back against the seat. He thrust up into her sharply, and Rachel's hips swiveled against his. As they moved together, Finn's hand caught Rachel's and held them down against the seat. Rachel laced their fingers together, tightening her hand around his.

"So… good…" Rachel panted out. She threw her head back and Finn leaned forward, nipping and sucking at her soft skin.

She called out his name again, her free hand fisting the material of his shirt as she rode him. Finn groaned, muffling curses into her neck as she tightened around him. Rachel's movements grew erratic above him and she locked her hands in his hair as she came, colors exploding behind her eyes. Finn followed her right over the edge, holding onto her hips tightly.

Finn pressed his forehead to her shoulder and then dropped several gentle kisses to her soft skin. Rachel combed her fingers through his hair and hummed in appreciation as his hand stroked up and down her back.

"I love you so much," Rachel said. Finn's hold tightened on her and then she felt him smile against her shoulder.

"I love you too, Rachel," he murmured. He kissed her neck softly before he lifted his head to smile down at her. "We should probably go back now."

"Probably," Rachel agreed. They both made sure that they were cleaned up and presentable once again before Finn climbed out of the limo. He held his hand out to help Rachel, and when they turned around , they walked right into Blaine.

"Uh, Kurt left something in the limo so I came to get it for him…" Blaine trailed off. He stared at Finn and Rachel's entwined hands before he took in Finn's thoroughly mused hair and the grin on Rachel's face. Then his eyes went almost comically wide and he exclaimed, "You two just had slutty wedding sex!"

* * *

Finn held Rachel close as they swayed together on the dance floor. Luckily, Puck and Quinn were busy being the happy couple, so they weren't paying much attention to anyone. And Blaine was keeping Kurt busy, so he couldn't see what his friend and his brother were doing.

"How long do you think it's going to be before Blaine caves and tells Kurt?" Rachel asked.

Finn chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of Rachel's head. "I'd say we have two days, tops. So we might as well enjoy this while we can." They finished with their dance and made their way back to the table, where Kurt and Blaine were already sitting.

"Did you hear?" Kurt said immediately. "Gwen left the reception almost an hour ago!"

"Really?" Rachel tried not to look too pleased by that fact, but she couldn't really hide it. Finn chuckled at the look on her face and squeezed her hand. Kurt laughed as well and kissed Rachel's cheek.

"Try not to look too heartbroken!" Kurt called out teasingly before he found Blaine and pulled him onto the dance floor again.

Another hour passed before Quinn and Puck left for their honeymoon. Russell and Shelby were taking Beth for the week that Puck and Quinn were going to be in the Caribbean. Everyone else remained at the reception for another half an hour before they left.

"Let's go back to your place," Rachel said as she wrapped her arms around Finn's waist. She rested her head against his chest and smiled when he reached up to stroke her hair. "I just want it to be us tonight."

"That sounds perfect," Finn agreed. He tilted her chin up to kiss her, and Rachel beamed at him. In that moment, she knew that this really was the forever kind of love.

* * *

**Author's Note: So… yeah. Slutty wedding sex! Thanks for reading!**


	22. but i said it, and i still mean it

**Author's Note: I'm so glad that you all enjoyed the last chapter! It was definitely one of my favorite so far. Thank you for all of your feedback! This chapter title comes from "Soldier" by Gavin DeGraw.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

"Blaine, you're going to have to relax."

Blaine looked up at Rachel and forced himself to smile at her. "I am relaxed. What are you talking about? Of course I'm relaxed!" He looked towards the front door as he was eagerly waiting for Kurt to appear. He had been out on a shopping trip when Blaine had arrived, and he had been nervous ever since.

Rachel shared a look with Finn before she reached over and patted Blaine on the shoulder. "You're not relaxed, Blaine," she said carefully. "You actually seem very on edge."

"I'm not."

Finn gave Blaine an amused look. "Blaine."

"Alright, fine." He sighed. "I'm just not used to keeping things from Kurt. I don't like it."

Rachel sighed. She had been afraid of this. If anything, she wanted to make sure that she and Finn were the ones to tell Kurt. Rachel would rather that he didn't hear it from a third party. Looking at Finn, she said, "Well, Puck and Quinn are gone for the week. Now is as good a time as any to tell him."

Taking Rachel's hand, Finn lifted it to his lips and kissed the back of it. "Whatever you want, Rach. We can tell him." Frankly, Finn was just about ready to walk out the front door and shout it for everyone to hear. Rachel squeezed his hand, and he knew that she was feeling the same way. They both knew that it was time.

It was then that the door opened. Kurt came in, carrying several full shopping bags. "I'm sorry that I wasn't around when you got here, Blaine. But you had Rachel to keep you entertained, and—Finn." Kurt stopped short when he saw his brother sitting on the couch next to Rachel. "What are you doing here? And… why are you holding Rachel's hand?"

Rachel bit her lip and looked over at Finn. He gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand again, and Rachel relaxed. She laced their fingers together and pulled their entwined hands into her lap. Kurt watched the movement before he looked towards his boyfriend. His gaze traveled between the three people for several long moments.

"There's something that you're not telling me," Kurt finally said. "All three of you know something, and you haven't told me. What is it?"

Blaine stood up and went to Kurt, taking his hand. "Kurt, honey, it's nothing bad," he said quickly. "It's very good, actually."

A smile began to appear on Kurt's lips. He looked at the way his brother was holding his friend's hand before he nodded his head. "I think that I'm beginning to see that. Care to explain, Rachel? Finn?"

"As you know, a little over three months ago, I saw Finn again," Rachel began.

"Finn did mention seeing you while he was out and about, yes," Kurt said.

Rachel decided to just bite the bullet and tell Kurt. There was no point in beating around the bush anymore. "At that time, Finn asked me out," she continued. She smiled up at Finn before she said, "I didn't actually know that it was a date."

"In my defense, I didn't really plan on it turning out the way that it did," Finn interrupted. He grinned and squeezed her hand again. "I mean, I was going to ask you out on an official date, but I hadn't planned on kissing you and then watching you run off."

Kurt stared at the pair with wide eyes. "Finn neglected to mention that little fact when he told me the story."

Rachel bit back a laugh. "At any rate, we kissed, we talked, we went out… And we've been together for a while now."

"Surprise," Finn added.

Kurt stared at them for a long moment before he turned to Kurt. "You knew about this?" he asked.

Blaine kissed Kurt's cheek before he said, "I only just found out about after the wedding. I saw them coming out of the limo during the reception—"

"Wait." Kurt held his hands up, interrupting his boyfriend. "What do you mean, they were coming out of a limo? What were they doing—" He stopped as realization hit and made a face. "Oh! Ew! Those were mental images that I never needed!" Whipping around, he pointed an accusing finger at Finn and Rachel. "I can't believe that it was the two of you that had the slutty wedding sex!"

Finn smirked and kissed Rachel's temple. "Well, someone had to have it."

"Oh, and I'm sure that it was such a sacrifice for you." He wrinkled his nose at the couple, but there was a smile playing on his lips. "Just make sure that you're not having sex on any communal surfaces. Just to be safe, I think I might completely disinfect this apartment anyway."

"Kurt." Now it was Rachel's turn to stare with wide eyes. "You're not… you're not angry?"

Kurt grinned and squeezed Blaine's hand before he let go. He walked over to Rachel and patted her cheeks. "Rachel, do you remember a conversation we had a little over four years ago? It was after our freshman year at NYADA was finished, and we were at the welcome home party your parents were throwing."

Rachel took a moment to remember the time out on the deck, right after she had talked to Finn. She remembered how Kurt had told her that he knew that she was in love with Finn, and her cheeks reddened. She had never let herself admit that Kurt had been right… at least, not until she had seen Finn again.

Kurt saw the recognition that formed in Rachel's eyes and he laughed. "I told you so."

* * *

"I still can't believe that you kept your relationship with my brother a secret for three whole months."

Santana pointed her spoon at Rachel. "I still need to kick your ass for that, by the way. I remember clearly stating that I would open a can of whoop ass if any relationships were hidden after Kurt tried to keep the Hobbit from us. You're not supposed to hide things from me, remember?"

"I second that," Kurt added. "I was the one that told you that you were going to fall in love with Finn! I predicted this over six years ago! I think that I should have been the first person to know that this was going on, honestly." Kurt sat up and got that crazy look in his eyes. "Tell me where he took you on your first date."

Rachel furrowed her brow. She didn't understand why Kurt was looking at her like that. "He took me bowling. Actually, we watched a movie here first. But I guess that was sort of a pre-date."

"Bowling?" Kurt's eyes nearly bugged out his head. "He took you _bowling_ on your first date? Have I taught him nothing after all this time?"

"I really don't understand why that's such a big deal," Rachel said. "And I'll have you know that Finn actually set up a very nice picnic in his apartment for dessert after we went bowling. It was very romantic."

Kurt gave Rachel a critical look. "Did he at least have candles?"

"And pillows and flowers and a little picnic basket."

Santana snorted. "I had no idea that Finnegan could be so romantic."

"He can actually be very romantic." Rachel let out a happy little sigh as she smiled. "And I love when he—"

"Ah!" Kurt held his hands up. "I'm glad that you're with my brother and all, but the last thing I want to hear about is your sex life with him. There are just some things that a brother doesn't need to know."

It was then that Finn came out of the bathroom, fresh from a shower. He was wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt and was toweling his wet hair off. He tossed the towel aside and leaned over to kiss Rachel. She reached up to pull him closer, a smile playing on her lips when she heard Kurt and Santana making dramatic sounds of protest.

"Just because I know doesn't mean that I'm okay with watching you two make out in front of me!" Kurt exclaimed. He gestured to Rachel and Finn respectively. "You are one of my closest friends and you are my brother. There are just some things that I don't need to know."

Finn pulled away and rolled his eyes. "Kurt, I officially no longer have to hide my relationship with Rachel. I can do whatever I want now. Do you really think that I'm going to let your whining stop me from kissing my girlfriend?"

"Um, I hate to point the obvious, but not _everyone_ knows," Kurt stated. "Do I need to remind you that Quinn has yet to find out about this?"

Finn's mildly annoyed look turned into a complete glare when he saw how Rachel's face fell. He pulled her into his arms and smoothed a hand soothingly over her back, and Rachel leaned into his comforting touch. "Kurt, don't. We already know, alright?"

Kurt saw the way Finn immediately comforted Rachel and saw how she responded to him. He reached forward and patted Rachel's hand, giving her a smile. "I'm sorry, Rachel. I didn't mean to say it like that."

"I know, Kurt." Rachel gave him a small smile and turned so that she was leaning against Finn's chest. "And we know that we still have to tell Quinn." After another moment, she stood up and held her hand out. Finn took it and stood up as well, stroking his fingers over the back of her hand. "I'm ready to go to bed. Goodnight."

Kurt and Santana watched the couple go. Kurt was smiling a little as they went into Rachel's bedroom. He really was happy for his friend and his brother, and he was glad that they had finally found each other after all this time. Turning to Santana, he paused when he saw the apprehension on her face.

"Santana? You look… concerned."

Santana sighed. "You do realize that this is all going to go to hell, right? Finn and Rachel are going to tell Quinn, and it's going to completely blow up."

"I don't think Quinn really has a right to be angry," Kurt pointed out. "It's been over three years since Quinn and Finn dated. They didn't actually end their relationship on the best of terms, given that she was in love with Finn's best friend and dating him behind his back the entire time. So where would she get off being angry?"

Santana shook her head sadly. "But you know how Quinn is, Kurt. You and I both know exactly how she's going to respond when she finds out about Finn and Rachel. She's going to go all crazy head cheerleader bitch on her own sister."

Kurt sighed, knowing that Santana was right. He didn't see why it was such a big deal, but Quinn could be weirdly territorial at times. Finn was the kind of guy that didn't realize how many girls were attracted to him, and Quinn had spent a lot of the time when they were dating exacting revenge on girls that tried to hit on Finn. Despite the fact that Quinn was now married to Puck and truly loved him, both Kurt and Santana knew that she wasn't going to be happy when she found out that her little sister was dating her ex-boyfriend.

"I guess we're just going to have to wait and see what happens," Kurt finally said. "But Finn and Rachel have finally found each other and they're happy."

Santana nodded her head and they sat in silence for a moment, pondering over what could happen over the next couple of days. Suddenly, a sound reached them—one that they hadn't really expected to hear. They certainly weren't used to hearing it come from Rachel's room.

Kurt made a face as he realized what it was. "Is that… Oh my God, is that the sound of the headboard hitting the wall?"

Santana took a moment to listen before she smirked. "I think it is. Not that I really want to hear her and the giant going at it, but good for her. It's about time."

"Ew! No!" Kurt stood up and grabbed his jacket. "I can't listen to this. I'm going to Blaine's for the night. I can't believe that this is what we're going to have to live through now. I'm happy for them, and everything, but there are just some things that I don't need to know about."

Santana stood up as well and wrote a quick (and lewd) note and posted it on the fridge for Rachel and Finn to see once they finally surfaced. "I think I'll go to Britts, too. Might as well join the calm before the storm. Pretty soon, we're all going to have to deal with the fallout."

* * *

Rachel slammed the headboard against the wall once again as she shattered in Finn's arms. Finn gripped her hips tightly as thrust up into her one more time, coming hard as well. Rachel let go of the headboard and collapsed on Finn's chest, trying to catch her breath. He wrapped his arms around her and smoothed her hair back, dropping a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you," Rachel murmured against his chest.

Finn smiled and stroked his hands up and down her back. He felt Rachel relax further into him before he said, "You know that everything is going to be okay, right? Everything is going to work out."

Rachel didn't answer him. Instead, she just burrowed further into Finn's chest and closed her eyes. Honestly, she just preferred to spend the next few days out in the open with Finn, without having to worry about anything. When Quinn and Puck came back, then it would be time to finally come clean.

Finn sighed when Rachel didn't say anything. He truly did believe that everything was going to be just fine. He wasn't stupid; he knew that Quinn probably wouldn't be thrilled with the revelation. But he also knew that Quinn cared for her sister and wouldn't let a stupid fight get between them for very long.

Instead, Finn changed the subject. "So what do you say we go out tomorrow?"

Rachel tilted her head up so that she could look at him, and Finn was relieved to finally see a smile on her face. "Like a date?"

"Yes, like a date. Unless you had something else in mind," Finn teased.

"A date sounds pretty amazing," Rachel agreed. "A date where we can stay out as long as we want, and when we go back to your place, I don't have to come up with an excuse for Kurt and Santana."

Finn suddenly rolled Rachel over so that she was pinned underneath him. She let out a giggle when he grabbed both her wrists and held them over her head. Rachel twisted her hands and laced their fingers together, a smile playing on her lips.

"So you think you're coming home with me tomorrow night?" Finn growled playfully. He bent so his lips skimmed across her throat, and Rachel bit back a moan.

"I thought it was a good plan," Rachel breathed out.

Finn gently bit down on her pulse point and then smoothed the mark over with his tongue. "It's a little presumptuous, don't you think?"

Rachel smirked when Finn pulled back to look down at her. "Maybe I'm just a bad influence."

Finn threaded his fingers in her hair and pulled her up so that he could kiss her. "I'm okay with that."

All teasing stopped after that when Rachel returned his kiss. And for a moment, Rachel really did believe that everything was going to work out.

* * *

**Author's Note: Kurt was pretty much the last person to know, lol. I've always liked thinking that Kurt would be very supportive of Rachel and Finn's relationship. At least, that's how it is in my mind. And now Quinn is the last person that's going to find out. And it's not going to be too long before she finds out!**


	23. something only you can give

**Author's Note: You guys are so awesome, and I can't thank you enough for all the support you've given this story. :) The flashback is in italics, and it takes place during the cookout mentioned at the end of chapter one. This chapter titles comes from "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

_Shelby smiled when she saw her ex-husband come into the kitchen. She put down the rubber spatula she had been using to ice a cake and reached over to hug him in greeting._

_ "Hello, Hiram!" she greeted cheerfully. "How are you?"_

_ "I'm doing well!" He set aside the pasta dish that he and Leroy had brought and peered out the back window, where he could see the guests from the cookout mingling. He smiled when he caught sight of his daughter on the deck. His smile widened even further when he saw who she was standing with. Hiram chuckled a little when he saw how Rachel was blushing, but he also took note of how Finn was responding to her. Hiram had a sneaking suspicion that the attraction was not one-sided._

_ "I can't believe how grown up she is," Shelby said wistfully. "Do you remember when she was just a baby? She was so little!" Shelby held her hands up to demonstrate, cradling them together. "Now she's in college."_

_ "I know," Hiram said. "She's become the woman that we always wanted her to be." It was true. Rachel was growing up and going after her dreams, but she was still the sweet, wonderful girl that Shelby, Russell, Hiram, and Leroy had raised her to be. Both sets of parents couldn't be more proud of her._

_ Hiram looked through the window and saw Rachel giggle at something Finn said. Shelby followed his gaze and watched the young man interacting with her daughter. She couldn't keep the smile off her face when she saw the knowing look on Hiram's._

_ "So you've noticed that Rachel has a little bit of a crush on Finn, did you?" Shelby asked._

_ Hiram chuckled. "Oh, I knew the moment I saw her with him. And if I'm not mistaken, I think that Finn may have a thing for our daughter, as well."_

_ Shelby tilted her head. "You think so?" she said carefully. Honestly, she could see the sparks between Finn and Rachel, but she didn't want to say anything. Quinn was still dating him, and Shelby didn't want to cause any unnecessary drama be revealing that she knew about the crush._

_ "I really do," Hiram said. "And I'm calling it now. I think that one day, we'll find Finn and Rachel together." Part of him was joking a little bit, but he really was serious. He wasn't sure when and how it was going to happen, but Hiram knew that Finn and Rachel would end up together._

_ Shelby nodded her head slowly. Truthfully, she agreed with her ex-husband. After another moment, they saw Kurt join Finn and Rachel. With one last smile at Rachel, Finn turned away to go back into the house. Rachel's eyes followed him until Kurt caught her attention. Both Shelby and Hiram couldn't help but laugh at the way Kurt seemed to be playfully teasing Rachel. It appeared that they weren't the only ones to know about her crush._

_ Just then, Leroy entered the kitchen. "What are we talking about?" he asked. It didn't take long for him to notice that Shelby and Hiram were watching Rachel. Connecting the dots, he figured out what the topic of discussion was. "We're talking about how our little Rachela is in love with Finn, aren't we?"_

_ "In love?" Shelby repeated while Hiram chuckled (he totally agreed with his husband, but he wasn't about to tell Shelby that). "She's infatuated with him, obviously, but…"_

_ Leroy just waved his hand, mostly to placate Shelby. "I'm just making a small prediction, that's all."_

* * *

"You do realize if you had just told us about your relationship, we all could have sat here like this three months ago."

Finn rolled his eyes while Rachel sighed heavily. "Kurt, let it go," Finn said. "We get it. You're mad that Rachel and I didn't tell you that we were seeing each other. But now you know, so stop complaining."

For the past week, Kurt hadn't stopped trying to make Finn and Rachel feeling guilty for keeping their relationship a secret. While he was happy for his brother and friend, he really wished that he could have known (never mind the fact that Kurt had the biggest mouth and probably wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret).

"Kurt, it's your fault that you didn't notice it sooner. The rest of us figured it out without a problem," Santana pointed out. "If I hear you whine about it one more time, I'm going to stuff a sock in your mouth."

Kurt looked over his shoulder to level a glare at Santana before he turned back to face the movie. Finn, Rachel, Kurt, and Santana were having a movie night with Blaine, Brittany, Tina and her boyfriend Mike Chang. They were actually waiting for Puck and Quinn to arrive, as well. The newlyweds had returned from their honeymoon two days ago and had wanted to meet up with everyone.

Thinking about it caused Rachel to snuggle further into Finn's side. He immediately picked up on how tense she was and rubbed her arm in comforting strokes. She tilted her face up to smile at him, and he leaned down to softly kiss her lips.

"Rachel, you have to relax," Tina said when she noticed the exchange between the couple. "Everything is going to be just fine."

"And you're not really helping your case if you're going to sit there and look extremely guilty," Santana added.

"That makes it really obvious," Kurt agreed.

Finn's arm tightened around Rachel. "Would you all give it a rest?"

Rachel put a hand on Finn's chest before he could berate their friends any more. "It's fine," she said. She figured the more she told herself that, the more she would believe it. "Everything will be just fine."

With a resolute nod of her head, Rachel stood up. It was about time that she actually tried to start believing it when everyone said that it was going to be alright. As she tried to keep herself busy in the kitchen, she thought about everything that everyone—Finn, Santana, Tina, Kurt, her fathers, Carole—had said to her over the past three months.

Sure, Quinn might not be exactly thrilled when she first found out. But Rachel had a feeling that, once everything was explained, Quinn would realize how happy she and Finn were together and wouldn't hold it against them. She took a deep breath and caught Finn's eye, her lips parting into a smile just as the door opened.

Puck stepped in first, holding several bags. Quinn followed after him, shouting a greeting to everyone in the room as she entered. Puck unceremoniously dropped the bags on the floor and stood up, turning towards his new wife.

"Okay, I brought all the shit you got for everyone up. Hand it out so it can be out of my sight."

Finn chuckled. "Man, why are you in such a bad mood?"

Puck pointed accusingly at the bags as Quinn began to hand out little gifts for everyone. "I lost a solid four hours of sex because Q insisted on going out shopping. Those things seriously put a cramp in my schedule."

Rachel made a face as she went to sit back down in her original spot, between Finn and Blaine. There were so many people crammed onto the couch that Rachel had to sit with her side pressed against Finn's, but they didn't wrap their arms around each other as they had before.

"No one wants to hear about the details of your honeymoon, Noah," Rachel said. "That's my big sister you're talking about."

"Don't listen to Puck," Quinn said pleasantly. "We were there for a whole week. He has nothing to complain about." She sat on the other couch and tugged on Puck's hand until he sat down next to her. "So what have you all been up to this past week?"

Then the worst thing possible happened: everyone suddenly grew quiet and looked at each other.

Even Puck looked at everyone, waiting for them to say something. Quinn's brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at all of the occupants of the room. Still, no one said anything.

"Guys… What's going on?" Quinn asked.

Rachel looked at Finn, her eyes wide. This was it. This was the moment when they were finally going to come clean. Finn reached over and took Rachel's hand, squeezing it tightly and rubbing his thumb across her knuckles.

"We have something to tell you, Quinn," Rachel said. Only when she spoke did she realize how ominous her words sounded. She hadn't meant for it to sound that way.

Quinn's face was immediately full of concern. She hadn't yet noticed that Finn was holding Rachel's hand. "Oh my God, Rachel! Is everything okay? You're not sick, or anything, are you?"

"Oh, Quinn, I'm sorry," Rachel immediately said. "I didn't mean to make you worry. It's nothing bad, I promise."

"Alright…" Quinn walked over to Rachel and sat on the coffee table across from her. "You know that you can tell me anything, right?" As the words were leaving Quinn's mouth, she caught sight of Rachel's hand in Finn's. Her brow furrowed in confusion and she looked up from their joined hands to Rachel's face, and then to Finn's. Finn squeezed Rachel's hand once again, and the movement didn't go unnoticed by Quinn.

Rachel could see that her sister was slowly beginning to figure things out. "Anything?" she asked quietly.

"Rachel… What's going on?" Quinn's eyes moved between Rachel and Finn once again. Her face was carefully blank, so Rachel had no idea what she was thinking. "Finn?"

"I think you might know what this is," Finn said.

Quinn's head began to shake slowly, and she was wearing a strange look on her face. "No, I don't think I know what this is," she said. "Because this isn't something that I thought I would ever know. It looks like my little sister went behind my back and started a fling with my ex-boyfriend, but it couldn't be that, could it?"

All pretense of calm was gone as soon as the word "fling" left Quinn's mouth. Rachel's face instantly hardened and she shot to her feet, still holding on to Finn's hand. "It's not a fling, Quinn!"

Quinn jumped up as well, while their friends looked on in shock. They couldn't believe how quickly things had escalated. "So you _did_ go behind my back!"

"We didn't!" Now Rachel let go of Finn's hand, totally ready to face off against Quinn. The last time she and her sister had fought like this, Rachel had been sixteen and Quinn had been eighteen. And that time, they had been arguing over who got the car first. Of course, they had arguments since, but it had never been as bad as this. "Quinn, don't try to turn this into something that it's not!"

"No, I think it's very accurate to say that you went behind my back," Quinn accused. "Obviously, you felt as if you were doing something wrong since you decided to keep this fling from me!"

"It's not a fling!" Rachel repeated, her voice jumping up an octave. "I may not have told you when it first happened, but I'm telling you now. Finn and I are in a relationship. Finn is my boyfriend, and I'm his girlfriend, and I love him. This is the furthest thing from a fling. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Even though Finn knew that she was more than capable of handling herself, he didn't want her to have to do this alone. Finn stood up as well and wrapped his arm around Rachel, pulling her close. "I love her," he said, looking into Rachel's eyes as he spoke.

Rachel beamed up at him. Finn's words gave her even more confidence, and she felt better having his arm around her. She turned back to Quinn, who was now glaring at the couple.

"No one asked you, Finn!" Quinn snapped.

"Hey, now." Puck stood up and went to stand next to his wife, waiting until she looked at him. "Why don't we just tone it down a little bit?"

Quinn whipped around to face her husband. "Did you know about this?" she demanded. Puck sighed before he nodded his head, and Quinn shook her head. "I can't believe you! I can't believe that you knew about this and didn't tell me!"

"Rachel's right, Quinn," Puck said. "Don't make this into something it's not. You don't have anything to be angry about."

"I don't? My little sister is dating my ex-boyfriend!"

"And why should that matter? You're not dating Finn. You haven't for three years! And, uh, if you remember correctly, we went behind Finn's back for years. So…"

"That's not the point, Puck! It's a matter of trust! It's the fact that she _betrayed_ me—"

"Wait a second!" Rachel inserted herself back into the argument. She hadn't meant for Puck to get caught up in the fight, because it wasn't his place. "Betrayal? In what way have I betrayed you, Quinn?"

"Puck is right," Finn added. "Quinn, we haven't been together in over three years. And we were never happy together to begin with. I don't understand why this is such a big deal to you."

Quinn leveled them all with a glare. "Because I knew that Rachel was in love with Finn from the very beginning!"

Everyone in the room froze. Rachel stared at her sister with wide eyes, and Finn's grip tightened around her. Quinn just nodded her head with a smug look on her face.

"Oh yes. From the moment you met Finn, I knew that you had developed a little crush on him. Don't think that I didn't see the longing looks you always gave him. And of course, I noticed how you always tried to flirt with him."

Rachel's cheeks flushed. "I wasn't trying to flirt with him." At least, she hadn't been intentionally. "I wouldn't have done that to you!"

"And yet you did anyway." Quinn threw another accusing look Rachel's way.

"Would you stop, Quinn?" Finn snapped. "Rachel wasn't the only one, okay? I didn't realize it at the time, but it wasn't entirely one-sided. And you're one to talk, you know. Considering that you were cheating on me the entire time with your best friend. Can we both just admit that we were wrong?"

From the look on Quinn's face, it didn't look as if she was going to be agreeing with Finn any time soon (even though he was right). She whipped back around to face Rachel, pointing a finger at her.

"I can't believe that you would do this to me," she said.

Rachel lifted her chin. "I didn't do anything wrong, Quinn. Finn and I are happy with each other. I love him. Can't you just be happy for us, too?" It felt so good to be able to say that she loved Finn out loud for everyone to hear. She pretty much wanted to run outside and shout it for everyone to hear.

"Not when you go behind my back and betray me like that." And with that, Quinn picked up her purse and left the apartment, slamming the door behind her.

Rachel stared after her sister before she sank down onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. Tears came to her eyes and she let them spill over. She couldn't believe that that had just happened.

Finn sat down next to Rachel and pulled her into his arms, rubbing a comforting hand over her back. She buried her face in his chest, clutching his shirt tightly while their friends looked on in worry. Every outcome they had imagined had never prepared them for this.

"I love you, Rachel," Finn murmured into her ear as he held her tightly. "I love you."

Rachel just held onto Finn tighter.

* * *

After everything that had happened, Finn and Rachel had had decided to retreat back to Finn's apartment. Rachel had changed into one of Finn's shirts and wrapped herself up in his bed, burrowing under the covers.

Finn walked into his room and watched Rachel for a moment. His heart ached for her, because she didn't deserve this. None of this should have happened, and he couldn't believe how quickly it had all spiraled out of control. He just wanted to help her feel better.

After another moment, Finn climbed into bed next to Rachel. She immediately turned to face him, curling herself into his arms. He kissed her forehead and pulled the blankets up around them so that they were both covered.

"I love you, Finn," Rachel whispered. She just wanted him to know that.

As always, he seemed to know what she was thinking. Rachel lifted her head up for a kiss, and Finn's lips landed on hers in a tender caress. "I know. I love you, too," he muttered when they pulled apart. "Everything will be alright, Rach."

Those were the last words that Rachel heard before she fell asleep. Despite how upset she was, Rachel had a peaceful sleep wrapped up in Finn's arms. It was early in the morning when she woke up, Finn's beeper for work cutting through the silence.

Rachel opened her eyes to see the first light of dawn streaming through the windows. Finn's absence from the bed had roused her and she saw that he was already up and getting dressed. He turned back towards Rachel and his lips lifted into a half smile when he saw that she was awake.

"Go back to sleep, baby," Finn said. He leaned over and pushed her hair behind her ear. "I'm just getting called into work."

Rachel yawned and could already feel her eyes growing heavy once again. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine. It shouldn't take me very long. I'll see you in the morning."

"Alright." She pulled the blankets up tighter around herself, trying to make up the warmth from Finn's absence in the bed. "See you in the morning."

Finn smiled again and leaned over to kiss her softly. "I love you, Rachel."

That was the last thing she heard before she fell asleep once again.

* * *

**Author's Note: Quinn finally knows now, and now everyone has to deal with the fallout. We still have a few chapters to go! Thanks for reading!**


	24. but i will hold on hope

**Author's Note: I can't believe that I got over 600 reviews for this story! You guys are so amazing, and I can't thank you enough for it. So, as usual, the flashback is in italics. This chapter titles comes from "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

_"Alright, Finn. I'll see you next week, okay?"_

_ Finn nodded his head as he left his brother's apartment. "See you next week, little brother."_

_ Kurt sighed and shook his head. "And Finn?"_

_ Finn turned to find Kurt giving him a sympathetic look. He wished that people would stop looking at him like that. It had been little more than a month since his break up with Quinn, and it seemed as if everyone was giving him that same sad look._

_ "Don't let what happened get you down, Finn," Kurt said with an encouraging smile. _

_ Finn managed a smile just to appease his brother. "I won't, Kurt," he said. "Don't worry." He was tired of everyone feeling so sorry for him. That annoyed him more than anything else._

_ Seemingly satisfied with his answer, Kurt nodded his head. "Okay, Finn. Bye."_

_ "See you around." Finn finally left his brother's apartment and took the elevator downstairs. He checked his phone as he walked outside, scrolling through for any unanswered messages. He saw that his mother had called once again. She had been constantly checking in on him for the past month. It wasn't that Finn didn't appreciate it, but he just wished that he could have a few minutes to himself._

_ Just then, the sound of laughter caught his attention. Finn looked around; he knew that laugh. He felt a smile come to his lips when he caught sight of Rachel. She was walking with Santana, and she was wearing a bright smile._

_ Unaware of what he was doing, Finn stopped to watch Rachel as she walked down the street and into her building. And then the realization suddenly hit him, as if it had been there all along._

_ He had feelings for Rachel Berry._

_ Finn wasn't entirely sure when they had developed, or when they had gotten as strong as they were. He had completely missed it. But the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he had liked her since he had first met her._

_ Finn's smile grew even more. All those times he had talked to her, he had never realized that his feelings were just growing for her even more. For a split second, he felt guilty about the fact that he had been harboring feelings for Rachel while he had been dating her older sister. But he didn't really feel that bad—not after everything that had happened, and especially considering that he hadn't even realized he had these growing feelings._

_ Finn remembered the time he had comforted Rachel after she had broken up with her jackass of a boyfriend over winter break. Now that he actually allowed himself to think about it, it felt good to hold Rachel in his arms like that. His mind drifted to how Rachel had leaned into his arms and gripped his shirt, and he wondered if his feelings were entirely one-sided._

_ Given that he and Quinn had only just broken up, Finn wasn't going to do anything about his feelings for Rachel… yet. He had to give it some time. He didn't want to put her in an awkward place, since she was Quinn's little sister after all. But at that moment, Finn resolved to one day be with Rachel Berry._

* * *

Rachel couldn't believe how late it was when she finally woke up. Her argument with Quinn last night must have taken more out of her than she realized. She rolled over to Finn's side of the bed, burying her face in his pillow and inhaling his scent. After another moment, Rachel forced herself to leave the bed. She didn't bother to change out of Finn's t-shirt, since it was quite possibly one of her favorite things to wear.

As she stepped out into the kitchen, she frowned when she realized that Finn wasn't home yet. Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax. Just because Finn wasn't back yet didn't mean that everything wasn't okay. She couldn't freak out like this every time Finn was on a call. She just had to trust and believe that he was going to return safely.

Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Rachel turned back towards the fridge. Pulling it open, she smiled when she saw that it was packed with her favorite food, in addition to Finn's. She grabbed a yogurt and then a muffin before she took a seat at the island.

Rachel began to eat her breakfast as she thought about what had transpired the night before. She felt a little better now that some time had passed, but she wished that the argument hadn't escalated as quickly as it had. She hadn't meant to lose control like that.

But she couldn't help but think that everyone else had been right. Quinn didn't really have a right to be angry. All she had wanted was to share how happy she was, and she shouldn't have to feel bad about that.

Everyone said that Rachel would be over dramatic, but Quinn often acted that way as well. Quinn was used to always getting what she wanted and having everyone want her. Rachel never begrudged her sister for that, because she had never been that way. But Quinn wasn't used to sharing, even when it wasn't hers anymore. Rachel knew that was at least part of the reason as to why Quinn was so angry.

Once everything had calmed down, Rachel was going to talk to her sister again. And she was determined to make this a rational conversation. It probably hadn't been the best idea to have an audience like that last night, but Quinn had noticed that something was up. Rachel had been so tired of keeping her relationship with Finn a secret that it had all just come tumbling out.

She sighed and combed her hand through her hair once again. She couldn't help but think of what might have happened had she just come clean with Quinn in the beginning. Part of her thought that she had been right to keep it quiet, given the way that Quinn had reacted the night before. Another part of her thought that maybe it wouldn't have been so bad had she just owned up to it.

Once again, Rachel pushed those errant thoughts away. There was no point in wondering about what could have happened. Not now, anyway. Rachel had made her choices and now she had to work through them.

With her plan of action made, Rachel finished up her breakfast and quickly cleaned up. Just as she was leaving the kitchen, the door to Finn's apartment opened. Rachel stopped immediately, hoping that it was Finn, but relaxed when she saw that it was Kurt.

Her brow furrowed when she realized that Kurt was followed by Santana. Both of them were wearing somber expressions that instantly made Rachel's heart drop.

"Rachel, where is your phone? Why haven't you been answering it?" Kurt demanded as soon as he saw her.

Rachel immediately walked over to her discarded purse. It was sitting by the coffee table, and Rachel had turned it off after last night events. While she waited for it to start up again, she asked, "What's going on?"

Santana just pressed her lips together before she said, "Rachel, you should probably get dressed." Her voice was quiet, and Rachel tried to remember a time when her best friend had sounded like that. Nothing came to mind, and it only made Rachel's concern grow more.

"Tell me what's going on," Rachel demanded. Some part of her knew what happened, but she didn't want to think that it was true. She wouldn't believe it until someone said it first.

"Rachel…" Now Kurt kind of looked like he was going to cry, but he took a deep breath to hold it in. And then he spoke five words that sent her world crashing down around her. "Finn is in the hospital."

* * *

Rachel burst through the hospital emergency room doors and immediately caught sight of Finn's chief. She rushed over to Beiste before either Santana or Kurt could stop her.

"Beiste!" Rachel twisted the over-long sleeves of Finn's sweater in her hands. She hadn't been able to find her jacket, so she just grabbed one of his sweaters. It was offering her more comfort than she had realized. "Please tell me that he's okay." Of course, Rachel wouldn't relax entirely until she had seen Finn for herself. But she just needed to hear someone say that he was going to be alright.

Beiste reached out and put a comforting hand on Rachel's shoulder. The younger woman didn't like the look that she was giving her, and her heart sank even further. "He's still in surgery," the chief explained.

Rachel immediately went pale. "Surgery?" she repeated at a whisper. "Why is he in surgery?"

"They haven't told me a lot yet," Beiste said as she tried to calm Rachel down. "But I do know that a beam fell on him—"

"_What?_" Rachel was about two seconds away from completely losing it. "A _beam?_ How did—"

Santana and Kurt both stepped forward, and they helped guide Rachel into a chair. She wasn't crying yet—she was doing everything in her power to stop herself from doing it—but she was shaking. Rachel bit down hard on her bottom lip and inhaled deeply through her nose several times in an effort to calm herself down.

"We should know soon," Beiste said. "In the meantime, maybe we can get you down to the cafeteria and get you something warm to drink—"

"No," Rachel said firmly. She took a shaky breath and then said, "I'm staying right here."

No one bothered to argue with Rachel, because they knew that there was no point to it. As more times passed, more firefighters from Finn's engine filled the waiting room. Apparently, Finn wasn't the only one to get hurt—though his injuries appeared to be the worst.

Sam and Mercedes entered the waiting room and immediately went over to Rachel. Sam was only sporting a few scrapes on his forehead but otherwise seemed unharmed. Mercedes hugged Rachel and then Sam did the same.

"He's going to be okay," Sam told her. "Alright? He's going to be just fine."

Rachel just nodded her head but didn't really say anything. Mercedes and Sam shared a look as they sat down on the other side of Rachel. All was silent for several moments, but Sam couldn't take the quiet anymore.

"Did you call your parents yet?" Sam asked Kurt.

The smaller man nodded his head. "They already get tickets for a flight over." Checking his watch, Kurt added, "They should just be taking off now."

"Finn should be out of surgery soon," Beiste announced. "Rutherford got his stitches and should be out in a minutes. And Puckerman just got his ankle wrapped, so he'll be joining us soon as well."

Rachel, Santana, and Kurt looked up. Puck was here? That meant that Quinn was either here or on her way, and none of them knew what to make of that. Before they could ask any more questions, the doors opened and Matt Rutherford and Puck came out. Matt was sporting a bandage over his hairline and Puck was on crutches.

When he saw his friends, Puck ambled over to them. Before they could ask, he said, "I don't know how Finn is doing yet. But, uh… I was there when it happened."

"You were?" Kurt demanded. "What exactly happened? Why don't we know anything yet? How badly is he hurt?"

A guilty look came over Puck's face. "We were getting people out. Finn stayed behind to make sure that the building was clear when part of the ceiling fell in. Just when they were getting around it a beam fell on Finn. I don't know a lot about what happened after that, but I know that it messed up his tank and his oxygen got cut off." He shook his head. "Finn always has to stay behind and be the hero."

Rachel pressed a hand to her mouth. She was too upset to say anything else, and she didn't even know the full story yet. She was so proud of Finn, and she knew that he loved his job, but it still terrified her to know that things like this could—and did—happen. Seeing the look on Rachel's face, both Puck and Beiste quickly began to reassure Rachel.

"But he wasn't in there for very long," Beiste immediately said.

"We got him out as fast as we could," Puck added. "Now it's just a matter of waiting."

Rachel closed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair once again. "I should have answered my phone."

"What?" Even though it was Kurt that had spoken, everyone turned to look at her. "Rachel, what are you talking about?"

Burying her face in her hands, Rachel said, "My phone should have been on. Then I could have gotten the call sooner and I would have been here—"

"Berry, don't beat yourself up over this," Santana interrupted. "You heard Beiste. Finn's been in surgery for a while now. If you had gotten the first call, they probably wouldn't have let you in to see him."

"Still," Rachel whispered. "I should have been here. What if he was awake? What if he was—"

Mercedes shook her head. "Don't do this to yourself, Rachel," she said as she reached over and squeezed Rachel's hand. "You couldn't have known that Finn was going to get hurt on his call today, and it's not your fault that you weren't here the second he got to the hospital. You didn't know that it wasn't going to happen."

Rachel bit her lip and nodded her head, mostly just to placate everyone. She still felt horrible for having her phone off, but she wasn't going to mention it anymore. Still sitting in her chair, Rachel pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them.

Just then, another person entered the ER waiting room. Everyone looked up to see Quinn standing there with Beth in her arms. She immediately made her way over to her husband, reaching out with her free hand to touch his shoulder.

"Puck, are you okay?" Quinn asked as she inspected his ankle. Beth called out for her daddy and Quinn held her as she leaned over and hugged him. Quinn embraced her husband as well, holding on to his hand.

"I'm fine," Puck quickly assured her. He kissed her softly as he pulled her into his side. "My ankle is sprained and I should be good to go in about a week."

Quinn nodded her head and looked down at Rachel, who was still curled up on her chair. Despite her earlier resolve to talk to Quinn, Rachel didn't look at her at all. Now was not the time to have that conversation. But what Rachel didn't see was the way that her older sister's eyes softened in concern.

Noticing the way Quinn's gaze went, Puck explained, "Finn is in surgery. He was hurt pretty badly."

Quinn nodded her head but otherwise remained silent. Everyone who was watching her saw how bad Quinn felt, though. It was clear that she no longer cared about the events that had transpired the night before and seemed to really regret how she acted. It just seemed as if no one knew what to say.

Puck put a hand on Quinn's back. "Come on. Let's go sit down." They went to the other side of the waiting room, and then everyone settled in for the rest of the wait.

* * *

Another half an hour passed before the ER doors finally opened once again and the doctor came out. Everyone immediately jumped to their feet, and Beiste reached the doctor first.

"How is he, doctor?" she asked.

"Lieutenant Hudson is out of surgery," the doctor said. "He sustained a severe concussion. He has fractures in three of his ribs and had a collapsed lung, which we re-inflated. He also has a dislocated shoulder, which we also repaired. Due to the concussion and the oxygen loss, his is currently unconscious. Now, we just have to wake for him to wake up."

Beiste nodded her head. "Can he have any visitors?"

"One at a time," the doctor allowed.

Kurt nudged Rachel forward. "You go first, Rachel," he said.

"Are you sure?" But even as Rachel spoke, she was stepping towards the door. Everyone in the waiting room nodded their heads, and Rachel wen to find Finn's room.

She took a deep breath before entering. She really had to hold back her tears once she caught sight of Finn. His skin was even more pale than it usually was, and he had several bruises and scrapes. He was hooked up to many different machines, and she could see the bandages under his hospital gown.

"Finn…" Rachel whispered. She sat in the chair next to his bed and reached forward, carefully taking one of his large hands in between both of her own. She wished that his fingers would curl around hers like they always did, but Finn's eyes remained closed and his hand stayed still.

"I'm so sorry that I wasn't here before," Rachel continued. Reaching up, she brushed his hair back and then pressed a kiss to his forehead. Before she could stop herself, words started pouring from her mouth. "I wish that I had just agreed with you and told everyone about us in the beginning. Everything would have been so much easier and we wouldn't have gotten so angry last night. I never should have put you in that place, and I'm so sorry."

Rachel's lips moved from his forehead down to his lips. She kissed him again, softly and gently. She could feel the tears threatening to spill over and she closed her eyes as she touched her forehead's to Finn's, stroking his hair back.

"I love you, Finn," Rachel whispered. "I love you so much."

She stayed like that for a few more minutes, just standing there and being with Finn. Eventually, she knew that she had to let other people into the room to see him. So Rachel kissed Finn one more time before she left.

Going back to the waiting room, she quickly told the occupants that the next person could into Finn's room before she turned and left again. Seeing Finn had made all of the emotions she had been trying to hold back come surging up again, and it wasn't long before Rachel could feel several tears trickle down her cheeks.

Rachel turned down another hallway and leaned against the wall, sinking down until she was sitting on the floor. Drawing her knees up to her chest, she buried her face in them and allowed herself to finally cry. Overwhelmed with everything that had happened and scared for Finn, Rachel didn't hold back.

Rachel didn't know how long she had been sitting there ,but she suddenly became aware of the fact that she wasn't alone. She looked up and hastily wiped at her cheeks as she tried to calm herself down.

Standing in front of her was Quinn.

Rachel's mouth dropped open in surprise as she stared up at her older sister. Quinn was watching her with a look full of concern as she reached out to touch her shoulder. Rachel wondered how long she had been standing there.

Finally, Quinn spoke. "We need to talk."

* * *

**Author's Note: Left it a cliffhanger! And here I was thinking that Finn's injuries were going to be a surprise, but you all seemed to figure that out, lol. Also, I don't really have a whole lot of medical knowledge, so I just kind of made Finn's injuries up as best as I could. Thanks for reading!**


	25. and sit by your side

**Author's Note: Thank you, as always, for all of the amazing reviews. The really mean a lot to me! The flashback is in italics. This chapter title comes from "Light Outside" by Wakey!Wakey!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

_Rachel pulled the hairbrush away from her mouth when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. She had been using it as a microphone as she sang in front of her mirror. Her hairbrush even had special gold stars on it—they were her favorite. Singing in front of her mirror was one of her favorite things to do._

_ Her mother opened the door and smiled as she stepped in. "Practicing again, sweetie?" she asked._

_ Rachel nodded her head eagerly. "Yes, I have been practicing! Daddy and Papa say that I have the voice of an angle."_

_ Shelby laughed a little at that. Both Hiram and Leroy had certainly made Rachel into their little princess over the past couple of years. She smoothed her daughter's hair back and then turned to invite two other people into the bedroom. Rachel watched with interest a blonde man and a blonde girl only a couple of years older than her entered._

_ "Rachel, this is Mr. Fabray and his daughter, Quinn. Russell, Quinn, this is Rachel." She smiled brightly at the two girls before she took Russell's hand. "We'll just be downstairs." They adults left the room, leaving Rachel and Quinn standing there._

_ "You were singing before," Quinn stated after a moment._

_ Rachel nodded her head and held up her hairbrush again. "I was."_

_ "You sounded really nice," Quinn said. "I sing too."  
_

_"Really?" Rachel beamed and decided that she had just made a new friend. "We should do a duet together, then. I already have several songs prepared."_

_ Quinn laughed before she looked out the door. Laughter from Shelby and Russell drifted up the stairs, and Quinn turned back to Rachel. "My dad is dating your mom, you know."_

_ "I thought so," Rachel said. She may have only been eight years old, but her daddy and her papa told her that she was so smart and perceptive all the time. She had figured out long ago that her mother was dating._

_ "I think they're going to get married," Quinn declared._

_ Rachel clapped her hands together. "That would be so exciting!" She loved weddings. She had already planned hers, and she updated her plans whenever she could. She was too old to be a flower girl now, but Rachel knew that her mother would want her in the wedding._

_ "And that would make us sisters," Quinn pointed out._

_ "I've always wanted a sister," Rachel said. She liked being an only child, but there were times when she wanted a sibling._

_ Quinn smiled. "Me too!" she exclaimed. Taking Rachel's hand, she said, "We're going to be great friends, and we're going to be sisters! I'm the big sister and you're the little sister. I'm going to help you school and I'm going to teach you how to talk to boys."_

"_We're always going to be there for each other," Rachel added._

"_And we're never going to let anyone bully us, because we're always going to have each other's backs."_

"_And I can help you with your music!" Rachel exclaimed._

_ Quinn nodded her head enthusiastically. "This is so cool. We're going to be sisters forever."_

_ "Sisters forever," Rachel agreed. They smiled at each other, and both she and Quinn went downstairs. She couldn't wait until the day Quinn became her sister._

* * *

Rachel sniffled once again and tried her best to wipe the tears from her eyes. She followed Quinn into an empty room and wrapped her arms around herself. Leaning against the wall, Rachel watched her sister as she sat on the bed.

Quinn picked at the edge of the sheet, and the two sisters sat in silence for several long moments. The longer the silence stretched on, the more Rachel remembered everything she had wanted to say to Quinn. If she wanted to talk, now was Rachel's chance to say everything.

Taking a shaky breath, Rachel said, "I'm not sorry, you know."

Quinn finally glanced up, but she didn't look angry. There wasn't the slightest bit of resentment in her eyes. "What?"

"I'm not sorry that Finn and I are in love with each other," Rachel said. "I am sorry that you felt as if I had betrayed you, because that was never my intention. But I'm not going to apologize for being happy with Finn. I'm not going to feel bad about it, because I shouldn't."

Quinn stared at Rachel for several long moments. Rachel couldn't help but wonder if she had made her sister even angrier. Rachel hadn't meant to sound so blunt, but she was tired of hiding her relationship. However, the next words out of Quinn's mouth surprised her.

"You're right."

Rachel blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?" She certainly hadn't expected to hear _that_.

Quinn sighed. "You're right," she repeated. "You shouldn't have to feel bad for being happy. And I shouldn't have tried to make you feel that way. I guess your little surprise revelation caught me off guard and I reacted badly."

"Quinn…"

Quinn let out a dry laugh. "Oh come on, Rachel. You know what I'm trying to say. Are you really going to make me keep repeating myself?"

Rachel smiled at her sister's words. Quinn hated admitting that she was wrong, and she hated apologizing. Rachel knew that this was really big if Quinn was stepping up like this. She walked across the room until she was sitting on the hospital bed next to Quinn.

"We should have told you. _I_ should have told you, and I'm sorry that I didn't," Rachel said. "I guess that I was just a little scared."

"Scared of what?" Quinn asked. She laughed a little. "Of me?"

Rachel laughed as well. "Maybe a little bit," she admitted. "But also because… I love Finn more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. And I love him even more every day. I think that I was just scared that it was too good to be true. That it was going to taken away from me somehow."

Quinn shook her head. "Rachel, that's ridiculous. Have you seen the way Finn looks at you? Because I have. He loves you, Rachel. He loves you so much that it's obvious to everyone that walks into the room. And it's even more obvious that you love him just as much. Now that I've had a chance to think about it… It was always there. I was trying to control things that I had no business getting into."

"It's my fault, you know," Rachel said after a moment. "I wanted to keep it quiet. Finn just wanted me to be happy."

"I think that was why I was so angry, you know," Quinn revealed. "Not because you're going out with Finn. I think it was more because you felt as if you couldn't trust me. You kept something from me because you were worried about how I was going to react. More than anything, I think that I was just so upset because you didn't think you could tell me this. So I was looking for an outlet and I said some things that I didn't mean at all."

Rachel sighed. "Quinn, I never meant to make you feel that way. I'm sorry."

"I know. It's just… we're sisters, Rachel. You can tell me anything at any time. Even if you think it will make me angry, I want you to tell me everything."

Rachel nodded her head. They sat there together for a few moments, just glad that everything was back to normal between them once again. "Do you remember when we first met?"

Quinn laughed. "I was just thinking about that, actually. I was on the phone with Shelby last night and she was talking to me about it."

Rachel smiled. "We said that we were going to be sisters forever."

Quinn hugged Rachel. "And we will be. No matter what happens."

Just then, Sam came into the room. "There you two are!" he exclaimed. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"What happened?" Rachel demanded. "Is Finn okay?"

Sam's face broke out into a smile. "Finn's fine. He just woke up."

* * *

Rachel stood in the doorway of Finn's hospital room. She saw him resting peacefully in bed, and a smile came onto her lips when she saw him reaching over for the glass of water on the table next to his bed. The relief flooding through her at seeing his beautiful amber eyes was almost overwhelming, but she held back her tears as best she could.

"Here." Rachel walked across the room and picked up the cup, handing it to him. Finn smiled up at her and took the cup, taking a small sip from it. Rachel put it back on the table and carefully sat on the edge of Finn's bed, reaching for his hand.

"Hey, baby," Finn murmured. His fingers tightened around hers, just as they always did when she held his hand. She smiled and tears came to her eyes. Leaning over, she kissed his cheek and then pressed her forehead to his.

"Hey." Finn brought his free hand up to cup her cheek. He swiped his thumb gently under her eyes, wiping away her tears. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

"I just…" Rachel held Finn's hand just a little tighter, and she kissed his cheek again. "I'm so glad that you're okay, Finn. I was so scared when Kurt and Santana told me what had happened…"

"It's okay. It's okay, baby. I'm fine." Finn moved his free hand so that it was tangled in her hair and he gently stroked it back.

"I love you," Rachel whispered.

Finn smiled and guided Rachel's mouth towards his. He kissed her softly before he murmured, "I love you, too." He kissed her again, harder this time. When they broke apart, Finn gently tugged Rachel onto the bed and pulled her into his side.

"Are you sure that this is okay, Finn?" Rachel asked worriedly. "I don't want to hurt you—"

"Stop it," Finn interrupted. He kissed her forehead. "I'm fine." Rachel carefully shifted so that her head was resting on his chest. She was small enough that she didn't have a problem fitting on the bed next to him. Finn wrapped his arm around her and played with the ends of her hair. "How are you doing?"

Rachel glanced up at Finn with an incredulous look on her face. "Are you kidding me right now? You're the one lying in the hospital and you're asking me if I'm okay?"

"Sam was here when I woke up," Finn explained. "He told me that Quinn was here. I don't know if you've seen her yet, but I don't want you to have to face her alone."

"Finn—"

"I know that you can handle yourself," Finn continued. He believed in her and knew that she could take on the world if she wanted to. But he wanted her to know that she would never be alone. "But you shouldn't have to, you know? I love you, Rachel. We made those decisions together. I'll support you in whatever you decide to do, no matter what."

"You're sweet." Rachel smiled and pressed a kiss to Finn's chest. Rachel knew that she couldn't put into words how much she loved him. "Everything is fine," she revealed. "Quinn and I talked and we settled everything." She beamed and snuggled closer to him. "Everyone knows and no one is angry anymore. Everything is perfect."

Finn chuckled. "And I had to ruin it by landing in the hospital. I'm sorry, baby."

Rachel frowned at him and pressed up on her hands. "That's not funny, Finn. I was so afraid. I wasn't there to answer my phone and what if it had been worse and I—"

"Rachel." Finn reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand. "I know that you worry about me, but you'll never know how much it means to me that you support me anyway."

"Of course I do." Rachel slid her hand over Finn's and leaned into his touch. "Finn, you love your job. And you're so good at it, you know." She finally smiled. "You're my hero, Finn."

Finn's eyes softened and he took her hand, kissing her palm. "You're mine."

Rachel kissed Finn again, slowly and tenderly. When they broke apart she rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes. She was just so happy that Finn was safe and she was in his arms again.

* * *

Finn stretched and shifted in the bed. His ribs ached and his shoulder hurt, but from what he understood he was lucky to escape with what injuries he had. He glanced towards the door and wondered when his mom and Rachel were going to get back. Carole had insisted on taking Rachel to get something to eat, and after an hour, Rachel had finally relented.

There was a knock on his door. Finn sat up a little bit as the door opened, and he was surprised to see Quinn peeking into the room. She remained half-hidden behind the door as she watched him.

"Is it okay if I come in?" Quinn finally asked.

Finn nodded his head. "Sure." Quinn slowly walked into the room and took a seat in the chair beside Finn's bed. Folding her hands together, she looked down at them. Finn just remained quiet as he waited for her to say something.

He didn't have to wait long. "If you had feelings for Rachel, why didn't you just break up with me?"

Finn gave Quinn a pointed look. "If you were in love with Puck, why did you even date me in the first place?"

Quinn winced. "I'm sorry. You're right." She gave him a sheepish look before she said, "You know that Puck and I never meant to hurt you, right? We just… it kind of got out of hand. I lied and then he lied and you had feelings for Rachel… Once we were in the situation that we were in, it seemed like it was easier to stay there. That was stupid, wasn't it?"

"It was," Finn agreed. He wasn't going to pretend to be the victim when he could have easily broken up with Quinn as well. Like she had, he had just grown used to the routine. "And I know. I never hated you guys. It was more that I was just so pissed that you two had lied to me for over a year. But I was happy that you two were happy."

Quinn rolled her eyes. She didn't miss what Finn was trying to get at. "I get it, alright? I'm assuming that Rachel talked to you already?"

"She did," Finn confirmed. After the nap that he and Rachel had taken together, they had talked some more. Rachel had explained all of her and Quinn's talk. Finn was glad that everything had worked out. And he had always known that no one would actually be mad at him and Rachel for being in a relationship together. It was only because they had tried to hide it.

"Then you know that I'm not actually mad at the two of you. I just wish that you had told me sooner." She poked Finn carefully on his uninjured arm. "Now will you tell me why you didn't own up to your feelings and date Rachel sooner?" It was nice to see that Quinn really was okay with the two of them dating. She really was happy for them.

Finn chuckled and shook his head. "Honestly? I think I was just afraid that she would never like me like that, let alone fall in love with me."

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"Come on, think about it. I wasn't anything like all of the other guys Rachel had dated."

"Thank God for that. That's a good thing, Finn."

Finn laughed again. "I guess I was just afraid that she wouldn't want to be with me."

"Finn, I wasn't lying when I said that I had noticed Rachel's crush on you all those years ago. I just didn't think much of it because I was too busy sneaking around with Puck. And come to think of it, you always did have a soft spot for her." Quinn patted Finn's hand. "I really am happy for the two of you, though. I can see how much you love Rachel… and I can see how much she loves you."

Finn smiled. He was beyond relieved that finally, after all these years of hiding their true feelings and months of secret relationships, everything was out on the table and everyone was finally, truly happy. They were with the people they loved and they didn't have to hide anything anymore.

"Oh, by the way. Puck and I had a question to ask you that's almost three years overdue," Quinn said.

"What's up?"

"We want you to be Beth's godfather."

"Really?" When Quinn nodded her head, Finn grinned. "Yeah! Definitely!"

Quinn patted Finn's hand again before she stood up. "You know what this means now, right?"

"No. But since you've been hanging out with Puck a lot, I'm sure that you're going to tell me anyway," Finn quipped.

Quinn chose to ignore Finn's little jab and said, "Now that you're Beth's godfather, you're going to be Uncle Finn. And since Rachel is Aunt Rachel, that means Beth is going to be a little confused. So you and Rachel should just get married now."

Finn blinked in surprise at Quinn. The blonde simply smiled before she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Finn leaned back against his pillows and looked up at the ceiling. A smile spread across his lips as he thought it about it. He and Rachel may have only really been together for four months, but he knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Really, they still had some time to go. But Finn knew that one day, he was going to marry Rachel Berry.

* * *

**Author's Note: So we have one more chapter and then the epilogue after this. Thanks for reading!**


	26. all you see is you and me

**Author's Note: Thanks again for all of the amazing reviews! This is the second to last chapter of this story, so we're definitely winding down now. This chapter's title comes from "Together" by Michelle Branch.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

"How are you feeling?"

Finn pouted at Rachel from his place on his couch as she adjusted the blanket around him. "I'd feel a lot better if you'd just let me get up and do something. My legs aren't broken, Rach."

"But your ribs are broken and you have a dislocated shoulder—"

"My right arm still works fine, you know."

Rachel ignored him. "—and you need to recover properly."

Finn caught Rachel's hand and pulled it up to his lips. "I know something that will help me heal faster." He had a plethora of cheesy lines and used them whenever he could to make Rachel laugh. The best times were when she gave him one in return.

"You're wearing a sling, Finn," Rachel pointed out. But she smiled and set herself carefully on Finn's lap. She kissed his cheek and ran her hand down his chest. "But you might get lucky if you play your cards right."

Finn pouted again. "But I'm hurt, baby. You need to help me, remember?"

Rachel giggled and kissed the pout off his lips. "That has to be one of the cheesiest things you've ever said. But I might help you out later tonight just because you're so hot."

Finn rolled his eyes playfully. "And here I was thinking that you love me."

"That too," Rachel added as she kissed him.

Finn grinned in triumph and slid the fingers of his good hand into her hair, pulling her close for another kiss. "How about you just help me out now?" he mumbled against her lips. He moved his kisses from her mouth to her neck, biting down gently on her pulse point. Rachel moaned and was about to answer when the door to Finn's apartment opened.

"Ew. What is it with the two of you and couches?"

Rachel ignored Santana and kissed Finn again before she turned to face the newcomers. She knew that Kurt and Santana were coming over, but she hadn't expected to see Puck, Quinn, Sam, and Mercedes accompanying them.

Finn clearly hadn't expected that many visitors at his apartment, either. He groaned but didn't let Rachel move out of his lap. Looking at his brother, he said, "I don't know why I gave you a key. You can't just walk in here like you own the place."

"Dude, sorry that we kept you from getting some of Berry's ass," Puck said. "But the game is on and we decided to come over here and watch it, just to give you something to do."

Finn rolled his eyes. "Dude, you're such a cock block."

"Finn!" Rachel's cheeks turned bright red, but Finn just laughed and kissed her cheek. Thankfully, their friends had brought pizza and drinks as well. Puck turned the game on and they all settled in to watch it. Rachel was still curled on Finn's lap and she rested her head on his shoulder. He rubbed his hand up and down her back.

"God. You two are so cute that it makes me want to throw up," Santana grumbled. But she said it teasingly, so her friends knew that she didn't really mean it.

"It's about time, though," Kurt added. "At least they're not dancing around each other anymore. All of that unresolved sexual tension… especially when all first started hanging out again! It was kind of disgusting."

Finn made a face at his brother. "Dude, you kind of suck."

"And if you really think about it, the sexual tension was probably resolved at that point," Sam pointed out with a grin. They had all noticed the changes in Finn at work. Despite their teasing, they were all happy for him.

"Ew! Sam! That was something that I never needed to know about my brother!" Kurt exclaimed.

"I'm just glad that the two of you aren't hiding anymore," Puck said with a snort. "First off, it was a pain in the ass to keep your secret. Second, now we won't have to deal with Gwen trying to hop all up on your dick."

Rachel rolled her eyes and made a noise in the back of her throat at the mention of Quinn's friend from college. Finn rubbed her back again and kissed her temple, easily soothing her.

Quinn looked confused. "Am I missing something?" she asked.

"You really were oblivious to the entire thing, weren't you Quinn?" Kurt said instead of answering her question.

Mercedes shook her head. "Even I heard stories about this Gwen girl," she said. "And none of them were good."

Quinn shook her head. "I don't understand."

Rachel opened her mouth to try and explain, but Santana beat her to it. "Gwen is a bitch," she stated plainly.

Finn promptly busted out laughing. Rachel tried to keep a straight face, but a giggle escaped her lips before she could stop herself. Kurt and Puck didn't have a problem laughing, either. Quinn looked at all of them and turned her eyes to her husband.

"Q, Lopez is right," Puck said. "Gwen is a huge bitch. And I can't say that I'm really a fan of your other friends, either."

"Why didn't anyone say anything before?" Quinn demanded. She turned to face her little sister. "Rachel? I asked you before if everything was okay. You didn't say anything then."

"Everything definitely wasn't okay," Rachel said. "I'm sorry, Quinn, but I've never liked Gwen. I can't say that I liked her when I first met her, either."

"She's evil," Kurt said for added effect.

Rachel rolled her eyes and huffed to herself. "She always hit on Finn when we were all together. It was so annoying."

"Hey." Finn kissed Rachel softly. "We don't have to worry about that anymore, remember?"

"That's true." Rachel beamed and kissed Finn again. "I remember what you said to her at the wedding."

"What did you say?" Quinn asked immediately.

Sam laughed. "He told her off, that's what! Rachel did a reenactment at the station and it was pretty awesome."

"Girl," Mercedes said. "I can't believe that you didn't realize what was going on sooner. It wasn't as if Gwen was very subtle about it."

"To be fair, Quinn was occupied with the wedding," Rachel pointed out.

"I can't believe that you're defending her when you hate Gwen probably more than we do!" Santana said with a scoff.

"I wasn't defending Gwen, I was defending my sister," Rachel said. "And no, I'm not Gwen's biggest fan. Not only was she constantly trying to hit on my boyfriend, but she kept trying to take my spot in the wedding! She was always trying to get you to change your mind on the things that we decided and she was always giving me these thinly veiled insults!" Rachel was rambling now, and Finn pulled her close to calm her down.

Quinn blinked in surprise. "Wow, Rachel. I'm so—"

"She called my nose big!" Rachel interrupted. It had been during the wedding shower, when they had been talking about the pictures. Gwen had made some comment about Rachel's nose that no one else but her had heard.

"Oh, baby." Finn hugged Rachel and turned her face towards his. "Your nose isn't big. It's perfect." He kissed the tip of it, causing Rachel to smile.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," Quinn finally said. She gave her sister an apologetic look. "I had no idea. You're right. I was too caught up in planning the wedding and I didn't even notice what was going on."

Rachel shook her head and snuggled closer into Finn's side. "It's okay. I told her off and then Finn set her straight at the wedding and we haven't seen her since. I think it's over."

"We're having a brunch tomorrow, remember? Since Puck and I are back from our honeymoon, we wanted to get together."

Santana began cursing in Spanish while Rachel groaned. She had totally forgotten about the post-wedding brunch party Quinn had planned to thank her bridesmaids. The last thing she wanted to do was go and sit with those girls, let alone spend an entire lunch with them.

"It's not okay," Quinn said again. "As your big sister, I promised you that I would always stick up for you, remember?"

"And I told you that we would always have each other's backs," Rachel said. "And since Gwen, Tiffany, and Aubrey are your friends… I guess that means I can spend one more brunch with them."

Quinn tilted her head thoughtfully before she said, "They're not really my friends, are they? We haven't really talked since we finished college. We had always talked about being in each other's wedding back in college. Funnily enough, Tiffany got married and I wasn't asked to be in her wedding. I guess it just seemed nice."

"Well Gwen definitely wasn't nice," Rachel grumbled under her breath.

Quinn's eyes suddenly lit up. "I have an idea."

"What idea?" Rachel asked. She knew that look. She had seen that look plenty of times in high school. She had seen it less in college, but it had still been there. That was Quinn's revenge look. Nothing good ever came of that look… for her target, anyway.

A somewhat evil smirk began to unfurl on Quinn's face. Puck let out a low whistle and said, "Damn, Q. You look so hot when you get that look on your face."

Quinn winked at Puck before she said, "There is no way that I'm going to let Gwen get away with being a bitch to you. You're my little sister, Rachel. So, at the brunch tomorrow, I want everyone to be there. I'll take care of the rest."

* * *

Rachel settled into bed next to Finn and pressed her hand gently to his chest. "Are you sure that you're comfortable? Do you have everything that you need?"

"Yes, baby, I'm fine." Finn slipped his hand behind Rachel's neck, pulling her down to kiss him. He appreciated how much Rachel wanted to make sure that he was okay, but he really did feel fine. Finn attempted to deepen the kiss, but Rachel gently tugged herself way and placed another soft kiss on his lips. "Rach," he groaned.

"I really don't want to hurt you, Finn," Rachel said. "You're still recovering from your injuries—"

"Rachel, what is it going to take to make you realize that I'm perfectly fine?" Without waiting for answer, Finn used his good arm to roll Rachel gently underneath him. Rachel gasped in surprised and Finn chuckled as he settled over her. Keeping himself propped up on his good hand, he leaned down to kiss her.

Rachel completely melted into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck. She brought her legs up and wrapped them around his waist as well, before using the leverage to flip them over once again. Rachel straddled him and rested her hands on his chest, watching him to make sure that he was absolutely okay and wasn't in any pain. When Finn nodded his head, she bent to kiss him again.

Finn groaned and slipped his hand under the t-shirt Rachel was wearing (which happened to be one of his). He made a noise of appreciation in the back of his throat when he realized that she wasn't wearing anything underneath it. Unable to take the shirt off with one hand, Finn tugged on it until Rachel got the hint and pulled it off. With a smile, she dropped it on top of Finn's head.

He could feel Rachel working to pull off his shorts and then she placed several light kisses on his bare chest. He was already painfully hard, and he could feel Rachel's small hands stroking up his thighs. Before he could tug the shirt off of his face, he felt Rachel kiss down his body. Finn groaned again when he felt her lips close around his straining erection.

Finn tugged the shirt away from his face and then sank his fingers into her hair. He didn't guide her but just simply rested his hand there, tangling his fingers in her long locks. She swirled her tongue around his tip before she let her mouth slide down him.

"Fuck, Rach," Finn breathed out. She started a rhythm, bobbing up and down almost torturously slow. She moaned around him and looked up at him from underneath her lashes. It was as if she enjoyed doing this for him as much as he enjoyed receiving it. She started humming against him and Finn tensed as he came in her mouth. Breathing hard, Finn watched as Rachel pulled away from him and licked her lips. The sight was making him go hard again and Rachel climbed back up his body to straddle him once more.

She kissed him deeply, locking her fingers into his hair and tugging him into a sitting position. Finn's lips moved from Rachel's and down her throat. He kissed across her collar bone, gently biting down before he kissed down to her breast. He took a nipple into his mouth and Rachel moaned, arching into him. He brought his hand up to cup her other breast, massaging it. Rachel ground down against him rolling her hips and whimpering when Finn bucked up against her.

She pushed him back down on his back and positioned herself over him before sinking down. She cried out as Finn entered her and he groaned her name, gripping her hip with his good hand. Rachel began to swivel her hips slowly.

"Rachel, please, baby." Finn thrust up into her and slid his hand up to fondle her breast again.

Rachel rested her hands on his strong abdomen and threw her head back, her eyes closing in pleasure. She cried out again when she felt Finn's lips close around her nipple once again. The combined sensations caused Rachel to scream out Finn's name and quicken her movements.

"Oh God, _Finn!_" Rachel dug her fingers into his back, trying her best through the haze of passion to be careful about his injuries. But Finn didn't seem to mind as he continued to thrust into her. He removed his lips from her breast and reattached them to her neck, moaning when he felt Rachel tighten around him. His hand landed on her behind, pulling her tighter against him.

"You feel so good, baby," Finn grunted.

Rachel gasped. "So good," she repeated. "_Oh!_"

She stilled as she came undone, and Finn thrust into her a few more times before he followed her over the edge. His good hand gripped her hip tightly, holding her against him as they both rode their orgasms out. Exhausted, Finn buried his face in her neck and placed several soft kisses there.

"I love you," Rachel murmured. She slipped her hand into his and he wrapped his fingers around two of hers, holding tightly.

Finn kissed up to her lips. "I love you too, Rachel. I love you so much."

* * *

Rachel had her hands wrapped securely in Finn's as she sat at the table. They were currently at the restaurant where the brunch was being held and waiting for Quinn's other three bridesmaids to appear. Quinn herself hadn't even arrived yet, though Puck was already there.

"What do you think she's going to do?" Kurt asked. "I mean, she kind of does have an evil mind…"

Puck smirked. "I love that about her."

Rachel made a face at Puck's overshare of information. "Please stop. Don't say anything."

Santana cracked her knuckles. She was only focused on one thing at that moment. "I really hope that we get to beat them up. That bitch deserved to be bitch slapped."

It was then that Gwen, Tiffany, and Aubrey walked up to their table. Obviously, they hadn't expected Kurt, Blaine, Puck, and Finn to be there. Unsurprisingly, Gwen's eyes immediately honed in on Finn. When she caught sight of the sling he was wearing, she plastered an overly-sympathetic look on her face.

"Oh my gosh, Finn! What happened to you?"

"Don't even think about it," Rachel snapped immediately. She didn't even care if Gwen's concern was genuine. She just wanted her gone.

Gwen's face melted into a glare as she turned to face Rachel. "Excuse me, but I believe that I'm allowed to ask Finn how he's doing. He's obviously injured."

"You're not allowed to ask when you have ulterior motives." Rachel's eyes narrowed. She had a strange urge to mark her territory with Finn, though she managed to stop herself from doing something totally embarrassing (that didn't mean that she didn't think about it, though).

Before Gwen could respond, Quinn appeared. She had her hands tucked behind her back and she had an overly sweet smile on her face. Rachel immediately smiled as well, because she knew that look. Something was definitely about to go down.

"Gwen, I think we'd all really appreciate it if you stopped hitting on my little sister's boyfriend," Quinn said.

"You're okay with her dating him?" Gwen demanded. She pointed at Rachel and Finn. "He's your ex-boyfriend!"

"Funnily enough, I know that. And I'm okay with Rachel dating Finn, because they love each other and make one another happy. It's easy for anyone to see. You, on the other hand? I would never be okay with you dating Finn, let alone trying to make a move on him. Which I noticed you doing back while we were in college, by the way."

Gwen gasped and tried to play innocent. "I have never—"

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Oh please. I know that you did. Even more, you've spent this time insulting my sister. That is something that I will definitely not let slide." Turning to her little sister but keeping her hands hidden behind her back, Quinn asked, "Rachel, what was one of things that I used to do in high school when people made me angry?"

Rachel tilted her head as she pretended to think about it. "I'm pretty sure that you tried to tear them down as much as you possibly could."

"But what was it that I did specifically? I had a signature move, if you remember."

Quinn definitely did have a signature thing she did back in high school. Rachel had always been thankful that she was Quinn's little sister, because she had never been on the receiving end of it. Her eyes widened when she realized what, exactly, was hidden behind Quinn's back.

"Quinn—"

But Rachel didn't even get to finish her sentence when Quinn pulled a slushy from behind her back and promptly dumped it all over Gwen.

The entire restaurant fell silent as everyone stared at Quinn and Gwen in shock. Rachel broke it by clapping her hands over her mouth in an effort to hide her laughter. It was followed by Finn's chuckle, which quickly erupted into full blown laughter.

Gwen sputtered as she attempted to wipe the red slushy out of her eyes. "You bitch!" she shrieked. Spinning towards Rachel, she pointed a slushy-covered finger at her. "This is all your fault!"

Rachel held her hands up and didn't bother to hide her laughter anymore. "I had nothing to do with that, I promise."

"If it weren't for you and your big nose, I would have had Finn—"

As soon as the words were out of Gwen's mouth, Rachel shot up out of her chair and slapped her hard across the face. Finn was behind Rachel in an instant, wrapping his good arm around her waist and pulling her against him. He was glad that Rachel got her anger out, but he didn't want her to do anything that she would regret.

"I am so tired of hearing you say things like that," Rachel snapped. "Finn and I love each other. We're… we're… we're tethered. I always feel him, even when he's not there. And I'm sorry that you can't have that, but you have to stop trying to steal it from me."

Rachel relaxed in Finn's arms, and he slowly loosed his grip until his arm was just draped around her waist. She squeezed his forearm and looked into his shining eyes, returning his smile before she turned back towards Gwen.

"And for your information, I am very proud of my nose and I wouldn't change it for anything." And with that, Rachel snatched up her jacket and left the restaurant with the rest of her friends and family in tow.

* * *

"So we're tethered, huh?"

Rachel smiled up at Finn and swung their entwined hands. After the excitement at the restaurant, everyone had decided to go their separate ways in Central Park to cool down a bit. Finn was looking down at her, his amber eyes twinkling as they walked down the curving path.

"Yes. Tethered." Rachel nodded her head as she thought back to the words she had spoken earlier. "I meant it when I said that I could feel you."

"I know what you mean." Finn stopped and turned to face Rachel. He placed his hand on his chest. "I can feel you here."

Rachel giggled and moved his hand to the appropriate side. "Your heart is on the other side of your chest, Finn." She could feel his heart beating under her fingertips and she looked up into his eyes.

"It's yours," he murmured. "And it always will be."

Rachel beamed at Finn before she stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his lips. This was how things were meant to be. From here on out, Rachel knew that she was going to be happy.

* * *

**Author's Note: Now we just have the epilogue to go! Also, I was trying to think of a way for Quinn to get back at Gwen, and having her be slushied is all I could come up with, lol (the slap was a last minute addition). I thought it was pretty fitting anyway, given that it's a recurring thing on **_**Glee**_**. Thanks for reading!**


	27. it's everything we're dreaming of

**Author's Note: And here we are! The end of Take Me For Everything! You guys have been so amazing. I never imagined that I would get such a wonderful response to this story, and it really means so much. :) As usual, the flashbacks are in italics. This chapter's title comes from "It's Gonna be Love" by Mandy Moore.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

**October 2013 **

_Rachel rushed up to Finn when she found him sitting on a bench in Central Park. "I'm sorry that I'm late. Rehearsal ran a little over time and the Subway was delayed, but I—"_

"_Rachel, baby." Finn chuckled and pulled her down so that she was sitting next to him. "It's okay." Slipping his hand behind her neck, Finn pulled Rachel close and kissed her. She smiled against his lips and gripped the collar of his shirt so that she could deepen the kiss._

_When they broke apart, Finn pulled a small white paper bag out from behind his back and held it out to her. "I got you something," he said with that adorable half smile._

_Rachel eagerly took the bag from him and quickly opened it. She beamed at him when she saw the brownie inside and kissed his cheek in thanks. Finn watched with an amused look on his face as she ate the brownie with childlike excitement._

"_It's from your favorite bakery," Finn said. Rachel nodded her head and offered a bite to Finn, which he gladly accepted. The little café he had first taken her to the September before (where they had their first not-really but it actually was a date) had become her favorite. As she sat there happily munching on her snack, Rachel realized that they were sitting in a very familiar place._

_Rachel finished the brownie and gave Finn a sweet smile. "This is the place where we first kissed," she said. She observed the area around them, getting lost in her memories from that day._

"_I remember." Finn reached into his pocket again, but he kept his fist closed around whatever he pulled out. He took Rachel's hand and she turned to look at him. "I actually have a question for you."_

"_Of course, Finn," Rachel said. "Anything."_

_Finn grinned and opened his palm, revealing a beautiful vintage diamond ring. "You can marry me if you want to."_

_Rachel stared down at the ring in Finn's hand before she looked up at him. Tears gathered in her eyes, but she was wearing a bright smile on her face. Rachel's fingers tightened around his and she nodded her head._

"_Yes," she said. Then she repeated her answer, but louder this time. "Yes!"_

_Finn let out a laugh of pure joy and wrapped Rachel in his arms, pulling her close and placing kisses all over her face and neck. They both couldn't keep the huge smiles off their faces as Finn pulled back and slid the ring onto Rachel's finger. They both looked down at her hand and marveled over how perfect that ring looked there._

"_Finn, it's beautiful," Rachel whispered._

_Finn looked very proud of himself. "Believe it or not, I picked that ring out all by myself."_

_Rachel tilted her head in thought. "Did you tell anyone that you were doing this?" she asked curiously._

_Finn smirked and took Rachel's left hand, running his fingers over the band that now rested proudly on her third finger. "I may have decided to keep this to myself. You know, just in case. In fact, the only people that know are your fathers, and that's because I asked them for their permission."_

_Rachel smiled when she heard that Finn had asked her fathers. She wouldn't have expected anything less from him. It was definitely something that he would do, and he also knew that she would appreciate the romantic gesture. Finn lifted Rachel's left hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles._

"_Kurt is going to kill you when he finds out that you did this without consulting him first, you know. He's had a binder prepared since he found out that we started dating."_

_Finn rolled his eyes. "Why do you think I didn't tell him?"_

_Rachel wrapped her arms around Finn's neck and kissed him again. "I love how you proposed to me. It was perfect."_

_Finn grinned and wondered how it was possible to be happier. "I love you so much, Rachel Berry."_

_Rachel held up her hand so that she could see her ring once again before she looked at Finn—her fiancé. "I love you too, Finn Hudson."_

* * *

**November 2016**

Finn remembered three years ago when he thought that he couldn't be happier. He found that he had been wrong when he saw Rachel walking down the aisle towards him. She had looked radiant in her beautiful white dress, and he couldn't imagine a more perfect moment. But once again, he was proved wrong.

Now he was watching Rachel hold their newborn son. Her hair was sweaty and pushed back from her forehead, and her cheeks were flushed from the effort of the labor. She looked bone-tired but completely and utterly blissful. Finn didn't think that she had ever looked more beautiful. He leaned over and kissed Rachel gently before he looked down at their son.

"He's perfect, Rach. He's absolutely perfect."

Rachel adjusted the blue blanket that was covering his little body. "I think he looks like you."

"You think so?" Finn tilted his head. It was too early to tell, but it didn't really matter to Finn either way. His newborn son was the best parts of both him and Rachel.

Rachel nodded her head. "I know that he's going to grow up to be just as amazing as you, Finn."

Finn smiled and held a finger out. The baby wrapped his tiny fist around Finn's finger and gripped it tightly. He grinned and wasn't embarrassed when he felt tears burning in his eyes. "We have to name him, you know."

"I was thinking about that," Rachel said. "I know we've been talking about names, but nothing felt right, you know? But I heard another name yesterday, and I thought that it sounded perfect." When Finn nodded his head, Rachel revealed the name. "Thomas."

Finn looked down at their son and tried the name out. "Thomas Hudson."

"Thomas Christopher Hudson," Rachel added.

"Thomas Christopher Hudson," Finn repeated. He grinned and leaned down to kiss the baby's—Thomas's—little forehead. "It's perfect." He bent to kiss Rachel again, his lips lingering tenderly on hers.

"I love you so much," Rachel breathed out when he pulled away. She lifted baby Thomas a bit more and then said, "We both love you."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Before either Finn or Rachel could respond, the door was pushed open and Kurt and Quinn struggled past each other into the room. Finn and Rachel watched with amused looks as both of their significant others followed them in.

"Kurt, you are being such a pain right now!" Quinn exclaimed.

Kurt let out a dramatic gasp. "Me? You're the one that's being a pain! You insisted that you had to be in here first!"

"Um, of course I get to be the first one in here," Quinn snapped. "I'm the aunt of this child. And I demand to know if it's a boy or a girl and what his or her name is."

"Well, _I'm_ this child's godfather," Kurt retorted. "I'm also Finn's brother. I get to be in here first!"

"I'm Rachel's sister! If you get to be in here because you're Finn's brother, then I get to be in here because I'm Rachel's sister!"

Puck and Blaine just watched the exchange between the two of them and shook their heads. They had each spent the better part of the last two hours trying to referee the argument between Quinn and Kurt. Obviously, they haven't been very successful.

Finally, Finn put a stop to their disagreement. "Would you two cut it out?" he demanded. "My son is trying to sleep and my wife is exhausted." Rachel looked up at Finn and gave him a grateful smile, and he kissed her temple.

Both Kurt and Quinn immediately stopped arguing and turned to look at the family gathered on the bed. Their eyes fell to the baby that Rachel was cradling, and their eyes went wide at the same time.

"It's a boy?" Kurt finally asked.

Rachel nodded her head. "And his name is Thomas." She tilted the baby so that the other four occupants of the room could see him.

"Oh my God, Rachel." Quinn, along with everyone else, moved closer to the bed. "He's so cute!"

"And so little," Kurt added. "And dear God, he looks like Finn. But I think he'll have your hair, Rachel."

"Finally," Puck muttered as he rolled his eyes. "They agree on something. It only took two hours and a new life being brought into the world."

Both Quinn and Kurt ignored him as they fussed over the new baby. They pretty much crowded onto the bed until they pushed Finn off. With an amused look, Finn joined Puck and Blaine by the door. All three watched Kurt, Quinn, and Rachel interact with the new baby.

"Congratulations, Finn," Blaine said. "He's beautiful."

Finn couldn't help the pride that surged through him as he watched his wife and newborn son. It was mixed in with the love that grew every single day. "It's just so… amazing," Finn mused to himself more than anyone else. "We waited nine months to meet him and now he's finally here and he's… perfect. They both are."

Rachel looked up then and caught Finn's eye. She beamed at him, her eyes bright with love and happiness. Finn knew that he would do everything he could to make sure that it stayed like that every day and beyond.

* * *

The cries of her son immediately woke Rachel from her deep sleep. It had only been two weeks since they brought Tommy home, and Rachel couldn't stop herself from constantly checking on him. Every time he made the slightest noise, Rachel was instantly by his side.

She made to get out of bed, but Finn's warm hand pressed to her back. Rachel felt him lean over and kiss her temple. "I've got him," he said. Then he kissed her lips softly, and Rachel's eyes fluttered open to see him smiling down at her. "Go back to sleep, baby."

A sleepy smile lifted Rachel's lips and she rolled over onto his side to watch him get out of bed. "Love you," she murmured.

"I love you, too," Finn said. He pulled a t-shirt on and then went down the hall to the nursery. Tommy was crying, but at this point Finn knew that it wasn't his hungry cry or the needing a diaper change cry. Tommy just wanted to be held. Finn leaned over and pulled his son out of the crib. As soon as he was settled against his chest, Tommy's cries quieted.

"There you go, buddy," Finn muttered as he gently shifted his weight back and forth. Tommy blinked up at him with big brown eyes that were identical to Rachel's, and it only made Finn smile. It was too early to tell who he would look like more, but Tommy definitely had Rachel's coloring.

As Finn slowly rocked back and forth, he began to sing a lullaby that he remembered from his childhood. It wasn't long before he could feel someone else's eyes on him, and he turned to find Rachel standing in the doorway. She was wrapped up in one of his sweatshirts, and her hair was a tangled mess around her head. But she looked so completely and utterly happy, and Finn smiled at her.

Leaning against the door, Rachel let out a little sigh before she said, "I'm so lucky to have you."

Finn's brow arched. "What?"

Rachel's heart swelled with love for the man standing in front of her. She watched as he protectively cradled their child against his chest, using one hand to soothingly rub the baby's back. Tommy's little head turned and his eyes found his mother. Once he caught sight of Rachel, his eyes drooped.

Rachel stepped forward and gently kissed Tommy's little forehead. Then she looked up at Finn and smiled. "I was just thinking about everything that we've been through. All of the things that we've had to overcome, and now look where we are."

With his free hand, Finn reached forward and cupped Rachel's face, his thumb stroking across her cheek. "You know that I love you even more because of it," Finn murmured.

Rachel looked up at him with wide eyes. Finn looked down and found that their son was once again fast asleep. He settled the infant back in the crib before he took Rachel's hand and led her out of the nursery.

Finn slid his fingers into Rachel's hair and tilted her head back a little. "Your strength and your grace during that time… it amazed me. And it still does. You find some new way to inspire me every day."

Rachel felt tears unexpectedly come to her eyes at Finn's beautiful words. She slid her hands over Finn's, squeezing tightly. "You're so good and honest and I just love you so much, Finn. Thank you for being there for me and giving me this amazing life and helping me have our beautiful baby boy."

Finn gently pressed Rachel against the wall. He bent until his lips were hovering right over hers. "Thank you," he said in return before he kissed her.

* * *

**May 2017**

"Who's my perfect little nephew? You are! Yes you are, Thomas Hudson!"

Finn shook his head as he watched his brother interact with six-month old Tommy. "I really don't know what to think of this," he finally said.

Blaine shook his head. "Kurt has been on a baby kick ever since you and Rachel had Tommy."

That caused Finn to smirk. "Maybe you and Kurt should start thinking about babies now."

"No way." Blaine held his hands up and shook his head. "We still have to get through planning this wedding. Could you imagine Kurt planning a baby shower? No, we're going to get married first. And then we're going to wait a year or two. But until then…" Blaine smiled. "I'm more than happy being Uncle Blaine."

"I did see Kurt planning a baby shower, remember? He organized Rachel's. I went crazy during the planning, and I wasn't even involved," Finn said with a snort.

"I heard that!" Kurt exclaimed. "I know that the two of you are talking about me. If you don't stop it, I won't watch Tommy for the night."

"Yes you will," Blaine said with a sigh. "You want to spend time with him. And if you refuse to watch Tommy, I will. Finn and Rachel deserve to go out for the night."

As if on cue, Rachel walked into the living room. She had spent the past couple of hours getting ready for her and Finn's first night out since Tommy was born. They were going on a date and spending the night at a hotel. Finn had planned it all, and while Rachel was looking forward to a romantic night out with him, she was still anxious about leaving Tommy.

"Wow, Rachel," Finn breathed as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a strapless purple dress with her hair curled into a low knot at the nape of her neck. Finn crossed the room and pulled Rachel into his arms. "You look amazing." With that, his lips came down over hers. Rachel smiled against his lips before she returned the kiss, stretching up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Could you please stop?" Kurt exclaimed. "Number one, you are my brother and one of my closest friends. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I don't need to say any of that. And number two, you have very young eyes in the room!"

Finn rolled his eyes. "Give it a rest, Kurt. Or we'll call Santana and she and Brittany can come over and babysit with the two of you."

Kurt let out a dramatic gasp. "No way! I already had to fight Quinn for the first overnight babysitting event. I called it first. There is no way that I'm going to let Santana come and ruin it."

"Event?" Finn gave his brother an incredulous look. "What do you mean, babysitting event? What do you plan on doing with my son?"

Rachel knew that it was time to step in. She ran her hands up his chest and turned his face towards hers. "Remember the night you have planned for us?"

Finn tightened his grip on his wife's waist as a smile appeared on his lips. "You're right." He kissed her gently before he pulled away and gave Kurt a pointed look. "Don't overdo it tonight, Kurt."

"Don't worry, Finn," Blaine said. "I won't let him."

And now the moment had officially come. Rachel and Finn had to say goodbye to their son and go off on their night. Rachel took Tommy from Kurt and cradled him as she pressed a kiss to his forehead. She adjusted his shirt a little bit and smiled when he made some baby noises at her.

"I put a list of everything that Tommy needs on the fridge. And if you have any other questions, you have both my and Finn's cell phone numbers. Actually, if you have any questions at all, just call me. And everything that he needs has been set aside in the nursery, and—"

"Come on, Rach," Finn said. He lifted Tommy out of her arms and kissed his tiny forehead as well as he said goodbye to him. "Say goodbye to the boy and let's get going."

"Aren't you worried about leaving him here?" Rachel demanded.

"Of course I am," Finn said. He allowed Rachel to say goodbye one more time before he handed Tommy off to Blaine. "But I trust Blaine and Kurt… well, mostly Blaine. Everything will be just fine."

"Alright, fine." Rachel kissed the top of Tommy's head again and said, "Mommy and Daddy love you, Tommy! We'll see you tomorrow morning!" Tommy gave his parents a smile and gurgled a little bit. And with that, Finn and Rachel said their goodbyes to Kurt and Blaine and left.

* * *

Rachel climbed back into bed and settled on Finn's chest. He groaned and tugged on the t-shirt she was wearing (which was actually his). "Who said you were allowed to wear clothes?" he mumbled.

Rachel grinned and pulled the shirt off. As she settled into Finn's side again, she was once again reminded of how much she loved the feel of his skin against hers. He ran his hands up and down her naked back, tickling her skin lightly.

"How did your call with Kurt and Blaine go?" Finn asked.

Rachel didn't look at him as she spoke. "What makes you think that I called them? I only went to the bathroom."

Finn chuckled, and Rachel could feel it deep in his chest. "Rach, baby. I know that you called them."

She sighed. "Fine. I did call them. But I just wanted to check up on Tommy." Turing her face up towards his, she gave him a pointed look and said, "Don't pretend like you haven't called them, either."

Finn gave her a wide-eyed look. He knew that he had been caught. "I might have called… once or twice."

"See! You wanted to check up on him just as much as I did!"

"How about we make a deal then." Finn rolled Rachel underneath him. "We won't call again until tomorrow morning."

Rachel moaned as Finn's hand disappeared under the blankets and slipped between their bodies. "Mmmm, okay. I love you, Finn."

"I love you too, Rachel Hudson," Finn murmured as his lips came down over her neck.

As she let Finn love her, Rachel couldn't believe how amazing her life was. She and Finn had created a wonderful life together, and now they had a fantastic family and a beautiful son. They loved each other for everything that they were, and she knew that things could only get better from here. Finn smiled at her, and Rachel knew that this was what the rest of her life was going to be like: filled with love and happiness and everything that she ever wanted.

* * *

**Author's Note: We've officially reached the end! Thank you so much for the overwhelming support that this story has received. I can't thank you all enough. :) **


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